Lisa Pearson

Humanity will never be done making art, ever. As soon as we find the most durable materials, making it last, the most efficient mediums for circulation, making it far reaching, or painting techniques, so that it can rival creation itself; we must start again. I wonder at our collective compulsion to make and experience art, considering this futility, but I do not question that the compulsion is there, and how it speaks, this compulsion, about our need to find community while we express and experience the divine.
I order to achieve a desired effect in art, you must sacrifice, allowing many, many things to go unexpressed. Other artists will become “spiritually bothered” by the vacuum that has been created by that which is unexpressed, and once again, will be enticed into inspiration. They will want to create new works that communicate something true, essential, universal. In the act of this creation, the artist begins the eventual materialization of their own transcendent insights,and began to entropy. It is mysterious and beautiful, this futility; forever thwarted, forever hungry and yet we all still strive for a renewal of understanding and expression.

Often, that which is unexpressed by one artist will be what inspires a different artist to do something new. To give an example, consider, the earliest prints made from wood cuts. In the “prophet” by Emile 217 of the butterfly book, fig 293 Nolde,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%27The_Prophet%27,_woodcut_by_Emil_Nolde,_1912.jpg “The contrast between dark and light, creates emotional intensity”, because of it's emotional intensity, it is a successful piece of work but immediately a need gets created by this work; the need to show greater detail. Compare the prophet to Noon-Day Rest in Marble Canyon, J.W. Powell, on page 222 in the butterfly book. http://www.rockhounds.com/grand_hikes/powell/canyons_of_the_colorado.shtml (scroll down to the third picture) and you can see that the desire to create detail was likely a huge motivator for Powell. This print was only possible because of a new technique.“Wood engraving is a “white- line” technique in which the fine, narrow grooves cut into the block do not hold ink.” pg. 222 “A world of Art” fifth edition
In some ways the availability of mass produced visual art, contributes to it's spiritual demise. In other ways, the availability of mass produced visual art, contributes to it's spiritual efficacy. Movable type [The Gutenberg Bible (1450-1456) was the fist book that used moveable type.] made literature, news, and ideas available to the masses, just as this technology for drawings made visual art available for the masses. This widening of audience size, allows artists to express themselves to more people, get written feedback about their work, helping them to refine their craft, and explore new techniques provided by new technology but as soon as something hits it's saturation point, the artist recognizes the “death” of art, (the art has become ineffective)
The ability to print art was at one time a very effective means for artistic expression, before the visual flood, Once, print was very expressive when there was meaning in the painstakingly crafted and carved, visual picture which for the first time, could be examined and really relished like a visual dessert accompanying the written description, of a unseen landscape. Now, the books containing such images, are left sitting in thrift stores, dug up from the attics of our grandmothers tossed into estate sales, tossed brazenly or secretly into the trash. Andy Wharhol dealt with mass production of images in his work. Here is a print of Marilyn Monroe silk screen mouse pad for sale on ebay which illustrates this well.
http://www.amazon.com/Andy-Warhol-Marilyn-Monroe-Mousepad/dp/B002B6DALC
In audio art, we are also flooded. Our cars, restaurants, elevators, bars, store television are full of musical and audio experiences that can be replayed over and over. It is not novel so it's value starts to leak away...as we become suffocated byt the volume of what we are exposed to,

Here is a link the the vegetable orchestra that is trying to say something new inside this saturation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfYt7vRHuY&feature=player_embedded#at=184

Food as instruments is halting. Here are two reasons why: First, we are struck at the abundance: When food is being made into objects for entertainment, it is because we have a great supply. The second thing we immediately connect with is a homesickness; because we eat so much machine made food, never cook for ourselves or handle “whole” food, we have in us a deep need connect with food in it's natural form, as it comes from the earth. We could, at this moment, go to the store, and buy a vegetable, and bite off it's raw head! We won't! There is something in our excess that prevents us! So while watching this, with starvation in some places and obese undernourishment in others, it is almost a misuse, almost a perversion and this, makes us laugh.
Why? Why was this necessary? Why all the trouble? They are likely privileged and have access to the best, so why didn't they use the expensive instruments that they already own? Is the fact that they didn’t use something regular, pre-designed thrilling for us? Why do we respond to the sounds of vegetables instead of to the sounds of violins?
It has something to do with ingenuity of course, but it also has something to do with manipulating something organic in such a intimate way, that we need to see...the work and the thoughtfulness put toward something perishable and impermanent but natural and alive; objects that will become obsolete immediately, (but not not the idea or the technique mind you...) It is strange but it is not strange; it illustrates my point.
As soon as technology solved one artistic problem, (the availability of instruments, recording technology and distribution technology) another artistic problem was created, (not enough interaction with natural things)so we revert back to, intentionally build, something natural and impermanent. The beauty of art, is fleeting, It brushes across us but does not stay. Knowing that the act of creating art is both essential and futile gives us the freedom to create like we breath; everyday with relish and for only so long.