Fine Art Must Evoke Emotion

Who Knows Where the Time Goes    J. Plesh
acrylic on canvas    24" x 32"

What makes fine art, fine art, is its ability to evoke emotions in the viewer. These emotions can range from sadness to ecstasy and everything in between. Consequently, if there are no feelings experienced by the viewers en masse, whether positive or negative—if they are not stopped in their tracks by the emotion that strikes them—then that piece cannot be considered an effective work of fine art. The beauty of fine art is the fact that the emotion and acceptance or rejection is purely subjective. A work of art has a certain message embodied within it and an intended emotional response. Accomplished artists, however, keep their messages and intentions subtle enough to trigger varying responses in each viewer. This allows each individual to better develop his own feelings towards the piece and his own unique, personal interpretation of its meaning. A work of fine art isn’t expected, nor should it be, to serve the same purpose and elicit the same mass appeal as a graphic design satisfying a marketing objective. The viewer’s reaction is and should be a private one felt from within. Fine art is as personal to the viewer as it is to its creator.