Why We Make Art

Why We Make Art

I was recently in London and took a tour of the East End to see the beautiful and fantastic street art. The works ranged from multi-story murals on the side of a building to art small enough to fit on a traffic sign. They could be beautiful, funny, or disturbing. But why were they there?

A famous London artist.

Granted, some artists had been paid (sometimes a substantial amount) for their creations. Some artists were hoping for name recognition and were trying to build their brand. But many of the art makers were creating art for it’s own sake. Perhaps to decorate their neighborhood or to make a social statement. But it wasn’t for the money or the fame.

Those of us that create art for galleries and collectors, do so for the love of the medium. We would gladly work full-time jobs to pay the bills while we create our art (and most of us have). But those of us who can, have given up the security of a regular paycheck in order to have more time to create. We want to tell our story, share a thought or emotion with an unseen viewer. We seem compelled to offer these images to the world.

We just can’t help ourselves.

Another famous Brit... Imagine - 36"X36" acrylic on canvas.