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[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

References

·      Mansfield, Nicholas 2000, Subjectivity: theories of the self from Freud to Haraway, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, N.S.W.

·      MGB 1973, Your mother wouldn’t like it, image, accessed 14 March 2017, <http://jalopnik.com/399568/your-mother-wouldnt-like-the-1973-mgb>

·      Ursey, Lawton 2014, The Art of Essentialism, Forbes Website, accessed 14 March 2017, <https://www.forbes.com/sites/lawtonursrey/2014/04/17/the-art-of-essentialism/#6fed20b56516>

·      West, Kanye 2007, Graduation, image, accessed 14 March 2017, <https://genius.com/Kanye-west-graduation-tracklist-album-art-annotated>

·      Freud, Sigmund 1923, The Ego and the ID, The Hogarth Press Ltd, London

·      Smart Water 2012, Jenniffer Aniston prints, images, accessed 14 March 2017

·      Freud, Sigmund 1911, The Interpretation of Dreams, Macmillan, New York

·      Putsche, Josef 2014, Overdetermination, image, accessed 17 March 2017

·      Vannini, Phillip 2012, The Senses in Self, Society, and Culture: a sociology of the senses, Routledge, New York

·      Wei, Chen 2015, Drunken Dance Hall, installation, Sydney: White Rabbit Gallery

·      Mitias, Michael 1985, Creativity in Art, Religion and Culture, Rodopi, Amsterdam

·      Chudinsky, Kirill, 2008, VW Polo Bluemotion Advertisement, image, accessed 18 March 2017

·      Taylor, Charles 1991, The Ethics of Authenticity, Harvard University Press, Cambrige

·      Barrett, Rashidi 2012, untitled, image, accessed 18 March 2017

·      Lopez, Matheus 2010, untitled, image, accessed 18 March 2017

·      anonymous author 2013, A Case of Plagiarism, hoaxes.com, accessed 18 March 2017, < http://hoaxes.org/weblog/comments/a_case_of_art_plagiarism>

·      Karwowski, Maciej 2017, The Creative Self: effect of beliefs, self-Efficacy, mindset, and identity, Elsevier, London

·      Kahlo, Frida 1948, Self Portrait with Medallion, image, accessed 18 March 2017

·      Tajfel, Henri 1982, Social Identity and Intergroup Relations, Cambrige University Press, Cambrige

·      Huan, Zhang 2001, Family Tree, image, accessed 19 March 2017

·      Glass, James 1993, Shattered Selves: multiple personality in a postmodern world, Cornell University Press, United States

·      Ellis, Andrew 2016, untitled, image, accessed 19 March 2017

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Social Identity

The way in which a person sees them self within society is social identity in the simplest terms. The possibility of placing or not being able to place them self in social and cultural groups, as well as influences from these groups all factor into this identity. Henri Tajfel clarifies that “The sum total of the social identifications that used by a person to define him- or herself will be described as his or her social identity” (Tajfel 1982, 18).

 The different social groups that an individual sees or doesn’t see them self a part of contribute to this identity. Simultaneously, similarities and differences between the individual and these groups and the groups themselves also factor into the social identity. In Zhang Huan’s self-portrait ‘Family Tree’, his default connection to the Chinese language and traditions is explored. In a set of nine images, Chinese writing gradually fills up his face, until it is completely covered in black ink. Huan feels constrained by his social identity, as although he may or may not want to be associated with the Chinese nationality and community, he naturally is due to his heritage. This is something he cannot escape. Therefore, Huan is displaying the negative effects of social identity. However, many positive effects are the result of this idea on many individuals, particularly artists. Personally, as a creative practitioner I am able to learn about and understand my own social identity by researching my own associations to social groups. Upon learning more about this, I can then express parts of my identity that I may not have been able to without this knowledge. I am also able to explore how these social groups determine some of my values and perspectives, shaping part of my identity.

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Fractured Identity

It is a known and well-supported psychological theory that we as humans are walking contradictions. There are different and opposing sides of our identity that constantly clash. This is true for every human being, and no individual has a single, wholesome identity. James Glass theorises that “The self [is] fluid, unconstrained, or in other words, multiple or fragmented” (Glass 1993, 6).

 Fundamentally, the self is not one single or entire entity, it is unlimited and multi-faceted. This can be negative, for example multiple personality disorder, or positive. If the individual is aware of these opposing sides and is able to understand and use all sides to their identity, then the results can in fact be positive. What we are left with is an individual who is in touch with his or her own contradictions, flaws and perspectives. This means that the individual can perceive an idea or issue in multiple ways internally, without even referring to external sources. A drawing by digital artist Andrew ‘Spiff’ Ellis is a minimalist visual representation of this concept. A young woman is depicted with several faces, forming a large, muddled up head. These faces represent different sides of her personality, some pretty to look at and some very ugly, but all evident. The woman would not be who she is if one of these faces was missing, proving that all sides to our fractured identity are crucial to who we are. In my own practice, similar to the creative identity, it is important to research myself. Acknowledging and learning more about all the sides of my identity will allow me to express myself as a wholesome being and explore aspects of my identity that I may have chosen not to previously.

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Creative Identity

One of the most important factors and aspects of creative practice is how the artist sees them self. An artists’ awareness of his or her own influences, values, strengths, weaknesses, styles and ideas is the way he or she sees their creative identity. This is why this notion has such an enormous impact on the artist’s creations; the artist is central to the artwork. Maciej Karwowski explains that “Creativity and identity seem to develop interactively, and therefore, contribute to the development of one another” (Karwowski 2017, 90).

Karwowski is arguing that the same factors that contribute to the common human identity also contribute to a creative identity, therefore a creative identity is naturally created. However, awareness of and acting upon this identity is by choice and is more than often only done by creative individuals. Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait from 1948 is an important example of this creative identity at play. Kahlo paints herself as abstract and flawed, yet intriguing as she sees herself this way. She is aware of her own identity and how this plays in her creative identity; these very attributes influence what and why she creates. This is a uncensored, genuine self-reflection that visualizes this concept of a creative identity. It is fair to say that the better I know myself, the better I know what I can do and why I might do it. Therefore, in my own practice research of myself is an integral part of growth and expression and so it is something I do and plan to continue doing.

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Authenticity

Fundamentally, authenticity refers to genuineness. So, in creative practice, authenticity is how genuine the artist is in making art; how passionate he or she is in what he or she is trying to achieve. For example, one part of an artist’s authenticity is how strongly the artist feels about the issue they may be commenting on. Authenticity of art is usually recognised; an unauthentic work can often be realized and will be critiqued. In a way, the more genuine an artist is, the more authentic the art will be and in turn, the more interested the audience will be. Charles Taylor argues that “The notion of authenticity develops out of moral accent in this idea” (Taylor 1991, 26).

 What he is saying is that, the need for authenticity in creation comes from the unconscious morals of humans. People want authenticity because it appeals to them and seems right. Unauthentic art, therefore, is seen as unethical by the majority of audiences. A painting by Rashidi Barrett in 2012 was poorly received when it was found that his untitled painting was a direct copy of a painting by water colour artist ‘Mathiole’. This direct plagiarism is seen as unethical by the audience as it is then proven that Barrett was not genuine in the creation of this piece. Although he may have been inspired by the original painting he cannot have possibly had the exact same ideas and emotions as Mathiole did when he painted it. Therefore, this an unauthentic artwork. Authenticity is a major issue in the art industry yet my approach to it is simple. In my own practice I should never copy art and I should be creating art that I genuinely feel an attachment to. I may be influenced and inspired by other artists, but I need to form original ideas in order to become a proper creative practitioner. Doing that I stay genuine and my creations are always authentic.

(Barrett’s painting on the left, Lopez’s painting on the right)

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Creative Influence

Every creative act or person obtains influence from past creative acts and people and is inspired by these past entities whilst creating. Therefore, every art work is influenced by other art works and every artist is influenced by other artist. This notion is definite and impossible to escape as it is physically impossible for a human being to not be influenced by external factors. As soon as we are born we begin being influenced by what we see, hear, taste and smell. Michael Mitias states that “each actual occasion is affected by the creative influence of all previous occasions” (Mitias 1985, 77).

Therefore, in a sense, the more influences a creative act obtains, the more values, emotions and people it can target. Basically, being influenced by more expands an artist’s horizons. A Volkswagen print advertisement illustrated by Kirill Chudinsky from 2008 has deliberately displayed its own creative influence in order to inspire creativity and interest in creative practice. The print is substantially a rip-off of a Salvador Dali painting, but with recognizable car-related aspects. Playing on Dali’s surrealist ways, text on the print states “Absurdly low consumption” (Volkswagen 2008). This is a purposefully exaggerated example of how much influence a previous creative act can have on a current one. In my own practice, I should tend to research as much art as possible in order to absorb a large amount of the art world, or at least, the parts that touch me personally. By doing this, I will increase the size of my pigeon-hole of influences and therefore expanding the issues, styles and concepts I can address. Conclusively, a large amount of creative influence would be extremely beneficial to me as an artist.

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Sensory Knowledge

In a sense, sensory knowledge is our awareness as humans of our five senses and how we can use these to connect and absorb the external world. Whilst explaining the power of the tool of smell in ‘The Senses in Self, Society, and Culture: A Sociology of the Senses’, Phillip Vannini states that “Clearly many biographical, contextual, social and cultural factors enter my sense making practices, that, until moments like these, are barely noticeable” (Vannini 2012, 4).

Essentially, sensory knowledge is knowing how I senses work, and the better we know this, the more effective we can use them. Chen Wei’s 2015 installation ‘Drunken Dance Hall’ is a prime example of the way artists can use the audience’s senses to the work’s advantage. The installation is a room, made up to resemble a messy night club after everyone has left. Although, of course, this work is visually stimulating, the installation also plays on other senses. A low buzzing sound played on speakers throughout the room adds to the eerie, surreal vibe of the room. Simultaneously, a subtle smell of alcohol and marijuana fills the room. Therefore, in this way we can see that not only has Wei made a visual work, but he is also targeting the other senses. Although I am a visual artist myself, there are ways I can also utilise the other senses in my practice. Seeing works like Drunken Dance Hall and learning about the senses in art drives me to expand on my art practice to possibly include video. This way I am able to create not only visuals but audio as well, which is something that could benefit my future growth as an artist.

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Overdetermination

Essentially, Overdetermination is the notion that any emotional symptom can be caused by multiple factors. Freud explains that “there is no limit to over-determination” (Freud 1911, 404). Basically, what Freud is saying is that, in the case of dreams, there is usually several factors that contribute to certain thoughts being produced in the subconscious mind. In Freud’s perspective this overdetermination is why it is difficult to pinpoint the reason for certain dreams as there is usually multiple.

As Freud explains, the results of Overdetermination are seen most often in dreams. Josef Putsche’s digital artwork “Overdetermination” seems to materialize an example of this notion. An extremely surreal and serene scene, a number of strange blue women fill the canvas, overlapping each other. Bright monotone colour is used as well as a transparent overlapping effect to create a piece that overwhelms the eyes. In a way, the work is not only displaying overdetermination but its often confusing results, possibly as seen by the artist. Considering even the name of the artwork coincides with this concept, it is safe to assume that Putsche was in some way influenced by Freud and inspired his ideas in making this artwork. This whole concept is something I may be able to explore in my own artwork. It may even be an interesting venture to explore and express my own dreams in order to understand the factors that determine my subconscious thoughts.

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Unconscious

In Sigmund Freud’s popularised theory, there are two divisions of the mind. One in which intended ideas are created of which the individual is aware of, the other in which the mental processes are made unaware by the individual . The unconscious is the latter, and is, according to Freud “very powerful” (Freud 1923 3).

 Fundamentally, the unconscious mind is the part of the mind that takes in and produces without the awareness of the individual. This is the cause for ‘Freud slips’; ideas that are accidently expressed due to their production in the unconscious mind. In smart water’s 2012 advertising campaign starring Jennifer Aniston, the idea of the unconscious in design is evident. In all photographs Aniston is represented in an extremely flattering manner. By creating an attractive model and terms such as “good taste” and “delicious” (Smart Water, 2012), smart water is purposefully exposing the unconscious mind. Subconsciously, it is not the water that the individual is attracted to, it is the model. However, in the conscious mind this attraction is met with reality and so the attraction is perceived to be to the product. In my practice, it would be advantageous to utilise my own subconscious mind through dreams. Capturing my dreams may, theoretically, be the only way to unlock powerful ideas that wouldn’t normally be unlocked.

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Essentialism

Lawton Ursey understands that Greg McKeown’s concept of essentialism revolved around minimalism. Ursey explains it to be the “discerning between external noise and internal noise” and “a mindset” (Ursey 2014).

 In essence, essentialism is the act of focusing what needs to be done or created, rather than what may be added. Every entity has a set of essential attributes and according to McKeown’s ‘essentialism mindset’, these need to be focused on. Kanye West’s album cover for his album ‘Graduation’ exemplifies this notion. The cover is a representation of himself and his reaction with his perplexing environment. West’s and representation of himself is the primary focus and therefore is crucial to the artwork. Therefore, West adapts this mindset as he chooses to explore the essential factors of his creation. As a creative practitioner, I believe it is extremely important to at least consider this mindset in the creative process as it will allow me to revisit the root purpose of my expression and therefore allow me to further understand my creations and myself.

[thephilosophyofcreativearts]

Subjectivity

Julia Kristeva explains subjectivity as an area in between the subconscious and the conscious. She describes it as “[an] incomplete and discontinuous, as a process rather than a fixed structure” (Mansfield 2000, 80).  

 In my perspective, subjectivity comes solely from within. It is one’s mind that controls this process, not the external environment, hence its commonly discussed relation to personal values.  An MGB print advertisement released in 1973 reads “Your mother wouldn’t like it” (MGB 1973), paired with a provocative model standing with a car. Both the concept and aesthetic of this print is subjective in the way that it provokes certain desires in certain individuals. More ‘rebellious’ individuals would be intrigued by this advertisement, meaning that it caters to certain values. In my own creative process I am able to use subjectivity in the way that like MGB, I target certain individuals and more specifically, certain areas of the mind to easily embed ideas into the viewer’s subconscious mind.