One style or many?

Is it okay to be prolific across lots of different styles of art, or do you need to have one pronounced style to be considered a real artist and taken seriously?

This recent drawing (that may become a painting.) really interests me. What does it mean? It just appeared out of my subconscious as do many of my images.

A few years ago, I went to see a friend’s exhibition called The Big Swim at a new gallery that had re-opened in Wellington: Hamish Coleman paints images from movie stills, close ups of faces or parts of bodies. He shared the gallery space with Emily Hartley-Skudder who at that time was painting fantastical, hyper-real miniatures of found objects. Hamish and Emily have a definite style and they are well established as serious, professional artists.

But art is so subjective, so personal. What one person likes, another will scoff at. We all have our individual tastes and often make quick instinctive judgements when viewing artworks – “I like that one”. If asked why, we usually don’t know, we just do. The average punter usually wants art that is recognisable and understandable because it is safe and familiar. On the other hand, an abstract painting or an installation can be a bit puzzling or elicit dismissive remarks like “I could do that” or “that’s not art”.

When I reflect on my body of work, I can see reoccurring motifs and themes and potential series emerging, with some of the paintings completed years apart. Unlike some artists who quickly establish a personal style that sells and then go on to produce works that are very similar, I move between genres and style depending on the day, mood and current interest. I go into the studio and I think what do I feel like doing today? Shall I finish a painting, start something new, work in acrylics or oils, do something realistic or abstract? Even with a plan, paintings have a way of taking over. Once you are in the zone and absorbed, you don’t notice they are directing you. Then you step back and look and think wow how did that happen, where the hell did that image come from?

As an artist, I am learning to take more risks. That means trying something new that might ruin the work you have just done, painting over things again and again and looking back to earlier versions to understand where you went wrong, what works and what doesn’t. I am on a journey and I don’t know my destination. I still have so much to learn, and so many paintings to make.