Would You Die for Art?

I was at a party in 1978 and the question, posed by The Intellectuals, was: “Would you die for

Art?” The courageous answer was “Yes”, and only those who agreed were permitted into the

conversation. I have thought about this question since, and now my answer is: “No. I would

simply die without it.” That sounds pompous, too. Can we even have this world without Art? No.

Our species, and probably the species before us, painted cave walls and carved patterns on bones

and rock. I do the same thing. I mix mud and chemicals on linen and splash, drip, and mangle

results. Then I see a form or a figure, and I tweak it along. Sometimes the result is Art.

I have indulged in the creation of artistic attempts since I was a little kid. Mom thought it was

great to have little Holly learn all about the appreciation of the great works that have come

before. We always had picture books on the beauty invented by people throughout history. In

college, it was vaguely ok for me to “round out” my classical education with courses on art

history. I went to Emory in Atlanta and at the time there were no studio courses offered. So I

used to draw pictures when I should have been studying. My degree is in Philosophy. You may

laugh now.

Horrible times and events happen to people and the world around them. Art often displays the

reaction to events and tragedies. It is a healing mechanism. It helps us explain what we think in

more abstracted form, and connect with others in the ways that more mundane language forms

cannot do. I have found out, also, that art forgives. You can leave it for a while, even for years,

and it will welcome you back, when you take it up again. This goes for music, dance, theatre, as

well as the so-called plastic arts. That’s the term for stuff you can make with your hands.

Paintings, sculptures, installation things.

Mom got a little disturbed that I wanted to create art full time. I can’t blame her. Then I showed

her an oil copy I painted of a Leonardo da Vinci angel. She said, “You did that?” Not exactly.

Leo did it. I just took 3 years at the Art Academy, Inc. to reproduce it. I learned so much. My

influences are Leonardo and Picasso. Yeah. Those two never met, and they never will. I have

tried to introduce them to each other on the canvas and they won’t comingle. I’ll keep trying.

I can’t thank enough the people who have helped me on this journey. WARM and this

Protegee/Mentor is an incredible boost. Rochelle Woldorsky is a brilliant and generous artist who

has guided and pushed and enabled me to move out and beyond some of my inhibitions and bad

habits. I must also thank David Feinberg and Jim Robinson for the knowledge that they have

shared.

Would I die for Art? I don’t have to think about that adolescent bull. I’ll just keep doing it