Re-examining the Nature and Purpose of Art
This paper covers the foundational constituents of all artistic endeavours and creative understanding; in particular the drive, character, potential and purpose of Artist's and Art.
Tu M' Tu M' and Tumtumism In its simplest form Tu M' Tu M' is an ideal; a movement of intent re-examining the very nature of art and the purpose of the Artist within our modern world. At its purest Tumtumism may be defined as: “The exploration of the underpinning themes of our collective consciousness, using social and historical knowledge to aid emotional vocality. � Artists should strive to produce work exploring the emotional, historical and psychological understandings of man which connect to a human narrative larger than any single individual and truths deeper than our temporary focus of mind. Being moved by a piece of art is not something learnt, there are reasons common through all art forms as to why we are moved; core values which run throughout and derive from our inherent consciousness. We can still be deeply moved today by art which is thousands of years old or art from outside of our cultural heritage, as it innately contacts truths which cross boundaries of time and conditioned beliefs. Tu M' Tu M' states that in its highest form an Artist's aim should be to dedicate themselves to participating with and contributing towards such a dialogue.
Artistic Drive for Knowledge and Experience If Tu M' Tu M' has a fundamental belief it is that Artists should be hungry for knowledge and driven with passion for expression. If the aim of an Artist is to engage with our collective dialogue then it must be their duty to be as best equipped as possible to understand and translate their inner voice into an emotional and unique response. To achieve this, Tu M' Tu M' places a firm emphasis on the necessity for Artists to have a wide range of skills and knowledge as a route to removing limitations to creative output. If knowledge is borne from information filtered through experience, then understanding a wide range of skills expands an individual's overall experiences, and in-turn nurtures a comprehensive and more rounded knowledge from which to draw in manifesting their vision. It is not just artistic knowledge that is needed for this purpose but also, and perhaps more importantly, knowledge drawn directly from life, as you interact most honestly with the aspects of life you have personally experienced. Life experiences expand the box of thought we inhabit, diversifying our ways of thinking and allowing us to approach ideas/situations with increased imagination. An Artist's imagination is the vehicle through which they birth and give life to all concepts; its the underpinning element of creativity. It is essential for an artist not to become stuck into set ways of thinking, seeing or doing, often an individual's biggest limitation. Imagination is inspired by new information and experiences, to continually expand your awareness and explore different attitudes feeds your potential possibilities, which in turn supports the process through which ideas are solidified into full, rich and realised forms with more profound power and meaning.
Skill as the Application of Knowledge Knowledge lays the foundation for the application of technical skills. Certain skills produce particular effects which resonate in specific ways, so to have a comprehensive understanding of a wide range of skills allows an artist to pick and choose the specific aesthetic qualities that serve their purpose. Further, as with learning multiple musical instruments, learning one skill can inform another, so improving in one area will develop similar traits in others helping further to round knowledge. There are aesthetic factors common to all art forms, characteristics of balance, proportion, harmony and beauty which are universal. The octaves of musical scales are natural points of resonance derived from the laws of physics, so too are values of proportion we've termed the 'golden mean' the 'Fibonacci sequence', and shapes and patterns within 'sacred geometry'. Humanity has discovered these, he did not invent them - they are universal in nature, arising from beyond human evolution, and should therefore be foundational to an Artist's understanding. From a position of foundational knowledge it is possible to see that factors such as line, light/shadow, colour, perspective, shape and movement are the visual elements we use to mentally construct the world around us. In fact, the information our eyes receive is separated into light/colour, line (edge detection), form/volume (spatial awareness) and movement, which are then processed individually by specific areas of the visual cortex. If our brains are wired to construct our visual reality from such fundamental elements then it makes perfect sense that artistic teaching for hundreds of years was formed around similar areas of understanding.
Contemporary Differences with Traditional Knowledge Traditionally artistic knowledge and skills were held secret amongst Art Academies and skilled craftsmen. We are currently in an age of information on demand, but content regarding traditional art practices is still hard to find. With the demise of art Academies and apprenticeships much has been lost and it is now accepted for artists to go without guidance and be left to their own devices. Looking back, the reasons why traditional values were discarded was an honest need for change. As industrial and scientific breakthroughs in the 19 th Century began paving the way for mountainous changes in society, the revolutionary thoughts overturning monarchies and governments were being mirrored within art. Whilst the Academies and Academics became increasingly strict and condemned the new, abstraction within all the arts was increasingly pursued. After the second world war the new stark truths, solid forms and emotional freedoms in modern art were embraced as an instinctual need for change lifted an 'old' weight from the shoulders of how we perceived the world. Today we see the return of strict controlling structures within art; money, commercialisation, conceptual thinking and academia again holding up the establishment. Since foundational skills have been by-passed, a large focus on the conceptual aspects of art has emerged. Art is no longer about how it moves or talks to people, but the concepts it engages with. It matters not if the viewer engages with the concepts explored, so long as we can observe and consider the endeavours of the artist then that seems to be sufficient, even if no conclusion is reached. We are at a point now where skills are seen as mysterious and magical things, so rare as to amaze in and of themselves, whether or not works actually say something. It is sad to see the energy, discovery, bravery, expression and inventive spirit of the 20 th Century become so thinly stretched that many cannot see what has been lost, even thought many intuitively feel it.
Importance of Lineage and History as a Teacher Our human narrative could also be termed a lineage, stretching back through time and continuing into the future. History provides the means to learn from past experience and observe common characteristics which in their present may have seemed unconnected. Art documents man's experiences beyond mere historical fact, recording experiences, thoughts and emotions in a deeply intimate and personal way. When others connect with this record they bring it to life within themselves, feeling the creator's original expression and connecting with life experiences beyond their own. We now have the unique opportunity to see art from across our entire history with increasing ease and understanding and can investigate the lineage connecting all to find commonalities and aspects which speak strongest to us, personally and collectively. If we can hone the core themes which resonate throughout time and translate them into contemporary messages then we are walking the path of knowledge lain by those before us and paving the way into the future. Studying our artistic lineage enables us to engage more fully with past expression; as a viewer, to better understand and feel the messages conveyed; as an artist, to translate such into our own work. Learning and understanding develops context and opens our appreciation, yet this is becoming increasingly difficult and foreign to us as we continue to place the past physically and intellectually behind a glass wall. We remove the past from it's original context and purpose so that we may 'protect' it, only then allowing it to be mentally observed from a distance. Instead of treating works of the past as precious, delicate artefacts, we should re-embrace them, re-claiming them as still relevant today, perhaps even more so as works which remain are cultural images that have stood the test of time.
Importance of line, poetry and other art forms An important aspect within all art forms is the flow and movement of its line of communication. The natural rhythms and grace of life are echoed in this 'line', flowing from a point of origin towards its conclusion whilst incorporating all aspects of the whole in between. The message expressed via this line should be balanced in its presentation, harmonious with its intent and graceful in its direction of attention. Obviously music embodies aspects of flow and movement easiest, but as it often consists of multiple lines of sound collaborating together to form a picture perhaps the clearest demonstration of this line can be seen in poetry. Poetry's innate rhythms make it the perfect companion to music, but language is much more linear in nature having the ability to accurately guide our attention whilst indulging in aspects of experience sound and visuals cannot; textures, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts, details, context, as well as emotions, sights and sounds; all senses of mind and body can be described to mentally position a person not just as an onlooker but as a participant to a situation. Where literature uses language descriptively and very opaquely, poetry has a quality of the mysterious and the unknown about it; it cannot be taken purely on face value but must be considered from all view-points and its deeper meanings sought out. This Investigation promotes us to intellectually unravel its riddle, then position the meaning back between words to reveal its hidden power and beauty (reading between the lines). This searching beyond the surface for a deeper meaning applies to the greatest of all art forms.
As it may be perplexing to conceive of how to embody a flat and fixed form (such as painting or sculpture) with movement and flow, to connect with the line of melody in music, the line of language in poetry, or the narrative 'storyline' of literature may help transpose a sense of 'emotional melody', 'visual language' and 'gestural narrative' to visual works. If an artist can become sensitive to a wide variety of human expression they may build an almost synaesthetic ability, combining elements of noise, texture, colour, sensation, flavour and aroma to create empathic visuals, honest in message with weight and grace of communication. If an Artist aims to embody such feeling in the production of their own work they are reaching towards the very highest aspects of human expression.
Defining types of Work It must be considered that there are different types of work; 'decorative', 'experimental', 'studies & observation', 'minor' and 'great' works. Decorative works are purely aesthetic and do not contact a deeper narrative, but may uplift and provide pleasure whilst displaying great technical skill. Experimental work is an artist trying new ideas, techniques and mediums to unleash their imagination; these are predominately not finished works but may occasionally produce results with aesthetic and/or emotional qualities. Studies and observations can either be preparatory work for a larger piece or works in and of themselves; as preparatory work they can be decorative and informative (providing a window into the workings of an artist), as complete works they can serve aesthetic, informative and experimental purposes. Such works may also contact aspects of the human narrative, in such instances these could then be termed 'minor' works. Here emotion, truth and beauty arise from the nature or execution of the subject, not a specific message the artist is expressing; still life's, landscapes and portraits often fall into this area. Great works of art are those which successfully combine all aspects of the purpose and nature of an artist to contact the deepest aspects of the human narrative and evoke a powerful response within others. Minor works may be elevated to such status through careful composition and skill, and even experimental work may reach such heights but only when an artist is guided purely by instinct and does not block the knowledge of their subconscious. Whatever type of work an artist produces they should be predominately guided by their own inner knowledge. Whilst others may praise and see no fault in their work if the artist is not entirely satisfied then their expression did not fulfil it's potential. As we learn via our mistakes and successes complete satisfaction is not always necessary, but to produce truly 'Great' works all disagreements must be overcome. Planning and development of ideas prior to execution is the primary way to alleviate such problems, providing time to evolve preliminary ideas and hone concepts, attain knowledge to fill holes in understanding, evaluate and perfect any skills required, and produce a piece which feels most accurate and true within the artist. Artists often discourage themselves from fully understanding their craft as they convince themselves the 'truest' way to achieve expression is through spontaneous creation, but in reality it just the quickest way whereby an artist may not know what factors make their creation great and cannot reproduce the results.
Nature as an Artist's Guide Nature is life in action. Our ideas of beauty, balance and harmony, our values, desires, likes and morals derive from the laws of physics and millions of years of evolution. Every human who ever lived has marvelled at nature and to not use her as our main guide and teacher may be considered
arrogant. The increasing removal of the natural world from our surroundings may be the most worrying trait of the modern world, down-grading her from something we're inseparable from to something entirely separate from us, regarded as either unimportant or a rare and sacred treat. Yet, through history we can see that our connection to nature has served as the greatest source of inspiration and guidance, not only to artists but also to scientists, inventors, societies and cultures around the world. Connecting with nature connects us to those foundational elements with which we construct our reality; as these indisputably arise from nature it is logical that understanding is best obtained via direct observation and careful study. When studying nature we are witnessing the same truths our ancestors did and our descendants will do, knowledge universal and timeless. Man by nature is innately inquisitive, searching beyond the self for pleasure, fulfilment, peace, love, joy, happiness, knowledge, answers, questions, etc., and what intrigues us most individually is deeply personal to us. Unfortunately, this inquisitive nature is often stunted by modern society, its trends, fashions, beliefs and systems become noise which distract us from our inner personal truth. Following the questions that intrigue us most may guide us to very intimate answers. These answers most often pounce when we're in the middle of doing something arbitrary, a menial task where our mind is relaxed and quiet enough to listen, and the spontaneity of ideas which sound from that voice are the spark and fuse for creative explosions. Spontaneity is imagination in it's purest form, but it by no means consists of complete and fully formed concepts, it is more akin to hints from your sub-conscious to encourage your search. Allow your mind to follow the trail and it will often point to answers which deep inside you already know, answers which arise from the culmination of your collective experiences and innate knowledge.
Developing Innate Knowledge Our inner truth and subconscious is innately connected to the collective consciousness, as truth originates from beyond the self, existing at all times and within us all: e.g. we intimately know the human body to the point that we instinctively react when we see others in unnatural or uncomfortable positions. Although we can learn every muscle and bone in the body to recreate them best, occasionally too much knowledge can form a stubbornness of mind which rejects good ideas as being 'wrong' and produces images that are 'correct' but are flat and methodical, lacking emotion and movement. The role of an artist is to direct the attention of others to engage with a message, to do so 'artistic license' can be employed to bend reality in service of a higher purpose: putting bodies into unnatural or even anatomically impossible positions to emphasis movement, or bending principles of light, colour, perspective and line to assist in direction of a message. It is here that academic rules begin to restrict and conform, extinguishing the innate playfulness and creativity of nature, and perhaps partly why past generations discarded them. If during composition you wish to know the best position for something you can get the rules of the golden mean etc. to work it all out precisely, or you can just go by what feels right, and you will often be correct anyway. To an extent this guidance is a learnt skill, as the more you do something the more it becomes second nature, but that is part of the process of contacting and trusting your inner guidance. Often we may examine and deduce all the components, follow the rules and produce work that ticks all the boxes, but for some indescribable reason doesn't satisfy, we then become frustrated that we cannot work out why it doesn't work when in truth we followed our heads and not our hearts. We have developed a pedantic pre-occupation with whether something is technically correct, its presentation and the process of production that we overlook arts true purpose, the emotional voicing of a message.
Subjects for Work When deciding upon a subject for their work an artist must draw from their accumulated knowledge and personal experiences, investigating topics closest to the heart and soul in aim of producing work with the most emotional draw and truthful message. All aspects of life may provide an artist with subject matter, although the subjects which speak strongest throughout history are often those of noble cause, with stories from history and subjects from other art forms providing good opportunity for interpretation of core human values and morals. Customising past subjects via contemporary awareness is one way to follow unexplored paths of the human narrative, but if an artist merely repeats what has gone before without embellishment they only re-iterate the previous artist's intent, albeit less honestly, and do not follow their own truth. Subjects should form part of an important dialogue, not arbitrary points of technicality and matters which few relate with. Much contemporary art takes minor points of concern and examines them in ways which attempt to imbue them with importance, often using gimmickry and pastiche to feign meaning; this is displayed clearest in contemporary interactions with the past. Whilst subjects may be of interest to the artist they can often be lost on the viewer, even with the aid of explanation. Resulting works are often theoretical exercises which explore peculiarities of theory, technique or style primarily engaging the mind of viewer and not achieving an emotional fulfilment served by contact with the human narrative. The aim of connecting with aspects of the human narrative is the desire to communicate with others, men and women, young and old. Therefore subjects should not be removed from public interest but be inclusive to common experience and understanding, presenting morals and messages that are relevant and relatable to many. The resolution reached by a viewer should be of an innately personal nature, provoked and inspired by their direct engagement with the truthful presentation of the artist's own searching, questions and resolutions.
The Social Responsibility of an Artist At what point does our expression become meaningful? If we produce work merely to satisfy the self, as an escape or release from personal pressures of life, then our duty is only to ourselves, but if the aim of our work is to connect with others and share inner understandings with a wider audience then we must be responsible for the message we share. If art communicates across boundaries such as time and location then that responsibility must inevitably consider more just our than temporary personal gratification. This does not contradict earlier statements that an artist should be guided by their own inner feeling, it must be clarified that such feeling must relate to their position within the collective dialogue, our personal relationship with the world and others, not the egocentric trend of free expression as an excuse to continually push boundaries for sake of attention and the pursuit of personal status and wealth. As contemporary trends continue to break taboos and boundaries of taste in the name of creativity, do we do so as a liberating aspect of our creative and emotional freedom, or are we celebrating the continuing disconnect we feel from nature, each other and ourselves? Exploring the psychological dimensions of man is benefited greatly by delving into the peculiarities of the modern world, but doing so should be seen as an opportunity to hold a mirror against our current relationship with common values to witness what has been lost or gained. All too often the only purpose seems to be interaction with the basest traits of humanity, our animal like survival instincts and our subconscious reaction to bright lights, loud noises, sex, speed, shock, pain and fear.
Increasingly the Arts seem less prominent in disseminating morals and values as media and entertainment have established themselves as the primary providers of modern messages. This has resulted in art robbed of its true purpose which now only serves to indulge itself and its makers, praying on the egos of those involved to perpetuate its brittle structures in the vain attempt of staying relevant. Tu M' Tu M' believes that artists do still have a social responsibility, that what they create and the attitudes we elevate become the mirror through which we collectively value the world, each other and ourselves, as eventually they are picked up and distributed through media. If we only pull on the most instinctual and survival elements of humanity then we close the door to deeper meaning and connection, cognitive thought and inner contemplation, we succumb to the temptation of self satisfaction and style over substance.
Modern Media and the Loss of Ambiguity Ambiguity provides creativity with a source of mystery, suggestion and beauty that drives us to look beyond the surface, teasing and tempting towards something but leaving us to solve the puzzle. The birth of modern art was rooted in ambiguity, forms were unclear, deceptive, abstracted, stripped back to the slightest hint of a meaning. This was not just in fine art but poetry and music also, all became fragmented, broken down, elongated, distorted and stripped back, discarding the rules in search of new forms of expression; perhaps to relay morals and values to a mankind that was itself becoming increasingly fragmented, dysfunctional and unnatural? Unfortunately one of the by-products of contemporary media is that we take its messages on face value without looking for a deeper message. This may be partly due to how accurately media resembles reality, also the immediacy with which it can be produced, but we seem to unconsciously react to it as a source of fact and thereby imbue it with meaning and value even when it is devoid of any. In truth, video, photography and audio have the potential to be the fakest of any creative form as no matter how much it is manipulated it may still resemble reality, and is therefore enormously deceptive and powerful. The purpose of Entertainment is a distraction from real life, that is not in question here, but when such distractions come in the same form and from the same source as factual information then perhaps it becomes increasingly difficult to separate fantasy and reality? That which perhaps we should question and analyse we begin to take on face value, and that which we should know as being true we regard with fantasy; the two become indistinguishable as we're increasingly desensitised to both, unable to decipher that which should be poignant from that which is a bit of fun. Our inability to decipher truth on even a surface level has eradicated our ability to look deeper and think for ourselves, when ambiguity is now presented to us many simply react with confusion and bewilderness. It is normal to now look down upon those who think for themselves, who seek out wider knowledge and do not see life as dictated by general media; why else do we regularly use such metaphors for the modern world as plastic, fake, bland, blunt, showy? Although there is much creative, honest and intelligent media, when mass produced it is stripped of all beauty, elegance, personal expression and message. It is designed to be throw away, purposefully one dimensional without hidden meaning to facilitate continual consumption without pause, feeding our needy attention whilst leaving us craving the next distraction. Mass produced media has only one aim, to grab our attention and retain it for as long as possible. If our attention remains on the surface and we are never asked to look deeper then we become used to having thoughts, opinions, morals, values, images and sounds imposed upon. We now have such a continual bombardment of information that we have created defence mechanisms to cope, we either agree, disagree or don't care: obedience, cynicism and ignorance.
Obedience does not question, never looks deeper or thinks for itself, cynicism dis-trusts and is suspicious of everything, ignorance acts through selfishness, avoiding the outside world through a lack of awareness and desire. All are attitudes which oppose connection as they dull the ability to empathise, and empathy is the key human trait which gives art and all creativity its purpose. They are natural human traits but they have been unnaturally amplified by modern life brought about by the continuing separation we feel from nature, each other and ourselves. For such reasons an artist must be the opposite and be forever open, searching, playful, aware, accepting, loving, trusting and forgiving, whilst also strong, focused, determined, driven, patient and honest to remain connected to themselves and the wider world.
Conclusion Obviously the world is not as black and white as portrayed here, all points have only been touched upon and simplified for sake of time, but may it now be clearly seen what separates the good from the bad? That every time greatness is found it is in that which is most honest towards a higher cause, aiming beyond the self to communicate with aspects of our collective story and acting in servitude of its message. When that message is portrayed with elegance, honesty, beauty and a touch of ambiguity, then the results speak for themselves, talked amongst the many long after its creators have departed from the stage. Perhaps part of the power of the arts is that they are not mere representations of reality, that they clearly originate from an inner world which has no other manifestation. The illusion playfully entices us into a contemplative way of seeing, hearing and thinking to momentarily remove us from ourselves and place us inside understandings we all collectively feel, enlightening aspects of ourselves not readily acknowledged; that from outside looking back, and that from inside looking further in. It is the duty of an artist to see what others overlook to direct their attention to causes worthy of consideration, doing so is a process of learning and discovery of life that never ends as if it did there would be no need for artist's today as our purpose would have already been fulfilled.
Written by Joseph Forrest
Email: tumtumism@hotmail.co.uk Website: http://www.tumtum.org.uk/