Front Door – © John Neel

Tree – © John Neel

Art is best when the audience it was made for understands it. Art is made for all of us to experience. Art is meant to be understood. However it needs an educated audience that has been trained in its purpose.

Generally speaking, artists are only understood by other artists. Most people don’t get art at all – at least not enough to change their ways. For the most part, it has always been an act of preaching to the choir.

When I use the term ART, I am speaking of all the visual, written and textural arts – which include music, literature, painting, sculpture, and photography.

I think that most images, artworks, and photographs are seen simply on a superficial level. The average user has no concept of how to read an image or how to appreciate the subtleties that can lead to understanding the work. Unfortunately, these days it seems that many photographic image-makers only see what they want to see or they show there works to the already informed.

People need to embrace the arts in order to see the world through a new set of eyes.

However, art should never change to meet the demands of anyone. Rather the system needs to embrace the arts in ways that can promote understanding and acceptance of art. Without the full understanding of the arts, the human race will forever wallow in its own self-destructive ignorance.

The world needs to look much deeper into the images we already have. Artists need to be true to what the world needs to understand. Visual literacy is not that common. In fact, it is very rare. To own a camera doesn’t make you a photographer or a critic. A photographer needs to learn to see and the rest of the world needs to learn how to respond to the work.

Perhaps a naive assumption, but I believe that given the opportunity, artists can be a major force in saving the world from the things that are out-of-order. But we are dealing with an ignorant public and a system that is headed in the wrong direction. We are caught in a world that has become conditioned to some kind of capitalist agenda where the world revolves around money and things. It is a world that has made ownership and competition the center of focus. The all mighty dollar has replaced spirituality and real life experience. We are caught in a world that cares more about making money than it cares about the actual world and all its life.

Art is the exact opposite of all that. Art is a look at man. It is trying to tell us something about ourselves. Art is our story. The arts and the artists who make it are more important than most realize. Art has always been a way to see ourselves and to see what we as a society are doing to the world. Art is about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Art shows us as we are – as humans in a world that is altered by our actions.

To look at the arts is to look at us. Looking at the artistic works from our past can give us perspective of where we are now and where we are headed. But it can only do its job if the people art is about can learn to comprehend what it is trying to say.

Art has been the barometer for all societies since the beginning. Yesterday’s art was about what the world was like. Today’s art is about the NOW. Tomorrow’s art will depend on what happens next. The arts are for all of us. To understand the arts is to understand us.

I believe the world needs more understanding of the arts and less attention to business as usual.

Learn to see the arts for what the arts can tell you. Learn to express the reality you see so that others can learn from what you see.

The out-of-control world of corporate business is what is killing us all. Education is what we need. Our arts are meant to heal.

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I cover many photographic topics and techniques in my book.  – Great Photography book for any creative Photographer.

I am currently working on a new book about photography, which I will announce when it comes closer to the publishing date.

Rethinking Digital Photography – John Neel

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