What is the difference between subject and object?
How does our definition of them impact the way we view the world around us?
Which, as artists, is of supreme importance.
For the way we view the world is directly related to
how/what/why/where/when
we paint.
literally speaking
when dealing with nouns
a Subject
performs the action
while
an Object
receives the action
A succinct definition when dealing with sentence structure but a bit insidious when used to define our relationships with one another.
When we are painting
A subject is why we paint
and
An object is the physical manifestation of why we paint
Here is the confusion:
A Subject is not an intriguing face, a beautiful landscape, still life or any physical item in front of you.
or
A Subject is not shapes, colours, or any means of scribbles or mark making, no mater how abstract they may be
A Subject is two fold:
1)the motivation that compelled you to pick up the brush in the first place
2)the idea, message, emotion, or opinion you are evoking in the painting.
So the question arises:
Are you painting Objects or Subjects?
The difference between
You painting a picture of a landscape
or
A landscape that inspires you to create a painting
Now
think back to the grammatical definition
a subjective noun is responsible for the action
while
an objective noun receives the action
In the first example
you
are affecting the outcome
and responsible for the action
putting information onto the canvas
in the second example
you
are being effected
and receiving the action
taking in the information
How do you think the difference between
receiving and giving
information
might impact a painting?
When painting if you’re goal is
understanding
(which is the case when studying the world)
you must become
the object
The surrounding landscape effects change in you. The world, regardless of whether it is deemed alive or not, is constantly impacting
you
If you are talking it is impossible to listen
The Universe
reveals secrets
It is up to us to
listen
becoming the object means that you are
listening
only through listening are we able to move past the world of symbols and truly
Next time you pick up a paint brush and step forward to the canvas ask yourself:
“Am I willing to be changed?”
for at the heart of change is
To be inspired by the world that surrounds you
means you must be
vulnerable
letting the shields down
allowing the
boundaries to thin
and
dichotomy
to fade
the self merges
with
the universe
and
true understanding will follow
What are you waiting for?
Relinquish
control
because
In terms of Artistic success
how you see is more important
than
what you paint
notes on the video
It is interesting to note that my ability to speak on painting dwindles and becomes impossible when relinquishing the control of subject verses object. When becoming the object I am so busy receiving information from the surrounding landscape that it is just not possible to give anything
You can actually pinpoint the moment when the transfer happens through my silence.