JJ D'Onofrio
ART Habens
sense of gloom hovering over the landscape. In terms of composition I am always wondering where the eye is going to wander and in this piece, the path next to the truck provides a way out. But to where? Ultimately, my starting point is based on the question: “Where do I want to go?� It is especially gratifying to have fellow travelers. I think art of any form is a shared endeavor amongst the artists and the people who experience it. There is a wonderful exchange of energy which fuels the process and hopefully allows us to learn something about each other and the world in general. I feel like art provides a spark and those taking it in fan the flames into a fire which lights up their heart and keeps them warm when nothing else can. I suppose I am ultimately looking to trigger something in the viewer. Otherwise we are all just looking for something that matches the couch. I often learn more about my work from others than what I think I know about it myself. There are underlying themes going on which even I sometimes would just as soon disregard, but when someone sees it and gives voice to it then I know we have both done something interesting which propels us forward. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an epiphany but can be an interpretation of our world and our self which moves the status quo in one way or another. The beauty of art is not so much in the colors, the textures, or subject matter, but in what all those creative tools mixed together tell us about ourselves as human beings.
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