Art Blog #58: Art is one of the most beautiful ways to reveal a bit of ourselves to the world.
29. October, 2024 - Reading time 11 Min. - Irina Maier
#ArtistsProfile #Freedom #Expression #CourageToBe
The themes and ideas in my art stem from a deep curiosity about myself, the world and a desire to understand how I fit into it. My mind, as ever curious, is in constant search of meaning in certain events and human behaviours. Be it the greater stage of the world politics, sciences, economics, and historical events, or the dynamics of my own relationships with family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
CONTEMPORARY SOUTH AMERICAN ART
Self-Reflection through Art - About Control, sense of Freedom and the Courage to Be.
Today, I’m sharing a part of myself I rarely express, beyond the occasional reflective moments with viewers who resonate with the emotions behind my art.
When you view my work, you observe golden opulent canvases with detailed bird portraits and bird flocks joyfully gliding in the air or flying harmoniously in one direction. In other pieces you discover a range of colourful abstractions, some of which provide the stage for these soaring birds as well.
The themes and ideas in my art stem from a deep curiosity about myself, the world and a desire to understand how I fit into it. My mind, as ever curious, is in constant search of meaning in certain events and human behaviours. Be it the greater stage of the world politics, sciences, economics, and historical events, or the dynamics of my own relationships with family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
Tapping blindly through life in various directions, without a rulebook on juggling the relationships and major life decisions, I can now, in my forties, say I’ve reached a level of understanding on how these aspects work. I’ve come to recognize and accept the reasons behind people’s actions – and, most importantly, my own – free from judgement. The inner “baggage” many of us carry, the past traumas – I know now where they came from, I know why, and I understand them.
Yet, as much as I’ve analysed my experiences and my past, I realized I had been unconsciously leaving one essential aspect out of the equation: my emotions. Tacked away in the darkest corners of my mind, I had to admit that they are meant to be felt, not merely understood. To help me navigate this, I discovered a spectrum of emotions that I’m learning to embrace and express without hurting myself or those around me. And on this long and ongoing journey, along the way, I ultimately stumbled into painting.
When I start learning a new skill, I throw myself into it entirely. It was my drive for excellence - or rather a sense of control - that fuelled my commitment to painting. I wanted to be good at it. I learned techniques from online courses, books and private lessons from a professional artist whose focus on mastery and precision matched my need to maintain control. Interactions with people and my emotional responses to them, can be painful and difficult to control; the canvas and the brush, however, are not.
Painting is a world I escape into – a space where I have predictability and complete control.
Almost unconsciously, I found myself drawn to painting birds. This subject allowed me to escape into a world that offered both a sense of control within my artistic realm and a sense of freedom that comes from relying solely on myself. At the same time, the flying birds resemble an unfulfilled longing to break free and simply be – to accept and to love myself, to have the courage to show myself to the world as I am, since much like these flocks of birds, I am not alone in this world. However, in a reality filled with fears of being judged, misunderstood and rejected, it is easier to shut down rather than to open up, risking being hurt. The beauty of these magnificent birds, gliding fearlessly and confidently across the canvas offers a glimpse of the freedom and self-expression I imagine in a real world, among real people.
In my abstract works, however, I’m taking baby steps to break free. Much like in life, where we often lack control over outcomes, I challenge myself to paint without preconceived ideas – something that doesn’t come naturally to me. Just as exploring and expressing a full range of emotions is challenging for me, creating an abstract piece is equally difficult. I am aware of the control over colour, its rigidity on the canvas, the limited spontaneity. Yet I am grateful to have found a way to express my inner world in this way.
Escaping into art is certainly a way to cope, but it is also one of the most beautiful ways to reveal a bit of ourselves to the world. We all strive to express ourselves in one way or another - it is our human nature. Art, I believe, is something anyone should practice in some form in their lives. When doing so, however, we should just remember to be kind to ourselves.
Irina Maier, 29.10.2024
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