Creative Influences

I think it is hard for someone to label the type of creative person they are mainly because in my opinion creativity isn't learned, it's just sort of who we are. I don't exactly know where I would fall in terms of type. I will say that I feel that a lot of my ideas and ways of looking at things seem abstract to others. I have noticed that often times I am the weird one for the ways I look at things. But to me, it seems like the best option or way to go about doing something.

One of the most inspiring people in my life is honestly probably my mother. She is an art teacher and has always been doing art around us going up. My mothers artwork varies in style, but is often focused around things that she loves. She has made numerous paintings of my sister, herself, and even me. I can see where she draws her inspiration at times. Unfortunately I don't have any of her artwork to present, so I will save the space for someone else.

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An artist I can present is a man I learned about last year in my IART class. His name is Andy Goldsworthy. Andy Goldsworthy makes his artwork completely from natural pieces. For instance he will bind icicles together or stack rocks on top of each other in crazy ways.

In my opinion, each of Andy's pieces are completely subjective. In his documentary, "Rivers and Tides", Andy describes what his motives were for his creations. But I still think that interpretation of the subtext can be up for debate depending on the viewer.

I love Andy's artwork because it contrasts with a lot of cliche standards that people associate with artwork. He doesn't use paints, brushes, canvases, etc. He just uses the earth. And unlike most other masterpieces, all of his work eventually gets destroyed by mother nature. I admire how he takes a different approach to creating. I think the fact that the work will get destroyed is enough to deter most artists from the get go.

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Another artist I admire is Spike Jonze. I love pretty much anything he gets his hands in on. Spike is consistent for delivering fun and unique material. And all of his stuff has such a different spin on things. He is widely known for his one of kind commercials, such as this one...

 

 And has more recently made a name for himself by directing Where The Wild Things Are. 

Spike's work is always full of active and sub-textual information. For instance Where The Wild Things Are was said to be a movie about a child, not a movie for a child. You would think at first sight that this was going to be a children's movie. I really enjoyed how Spike took the original book and adapted it to the big screen in his own way. 

Spike's creations tend to inspire me because, much like Goldsworthy, he emphasizes that it is okay to think out side the box and see things differently then what others might see. When I view the work of these artists, I don't feel as boxed in when it comes to ideas. I get the feeling that anything you can come up with can more or less be made a reality with enough effort.