A Little Peace & Quite or Maybe a Hearty Conversation & a Beer; An Art Newbie's Perspective

So I'm a newbie in the art world!  If I must, I'll accept that designation.  And with it goes my belief - and hope - that my lack of deeply ingrained experiences in the art world will help break through some of the barriers preventing so many others from enjoying all that art offers.  I'm not out to change the art world but it seems art is enjoyed by a relative few despite it being one of those things that can draw us back to a more enjoyable simple life when media wasn't flying into our eyes and ears at every moment.  The physical qualities of art have an awesome impact.  They project something that even the best HDTV cannot.  To experience artwork in real life is vastly different from a simple reproduced image on the computer.  With some past experience with the online dating world I can say it is something akin to starting a new relationship online with someone who lives in a different town then meeting them in real life.  Nothing is as it seems until you meet in real life!  You can suspect it will be wonderful but you just don't know until you are there face-to-face.  Similarly, there is energy in a created piece of artwork and no matter the level of fine resolution of the image on your computer it will always be far short of seeing it right in front of you.  Just as you either "click" or "have chemistry" with someone or you don't - its also true you might find a piece of artwork striking and captivating or creepy and weird!  And that's the fun of it.  Take it home for a lifetime!  Or run like hell.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of artwork for me are the moments of peaceful contemplation.  Today there is so much static and noise happening.  There are few moments if any to focus on something enjoyable and something that builds up your life rather than pulling energy out of it.  Having just a little time, even just a few times a week, to take in the aesthetic beauty or maybe the emotionally powerful characteristics of a painting or sculpture can give back a peace of mind that simply doesn't happen with an hour of even the best Jay Leno show or a particularly exciting episode of 24.  Those are definitely fun things to do, don't get me wrong I also love that stuff, but they offer more of a passive appreciation.  Works of art often push an observer to think of the concepts embodied by the piece or the emotions that are elicited.  For some it is a simple pleasant thought and for others it can fire up a great conversation or even inspire.

I guess the point is that regardless of the walk in life art can bring what many of us seek almost every day; a little peace, a little fun and some good conversation.

Now, I know I've written an amazing blog post ;-) but just in case you need to fake your interest in art for maybe, I don't know, a first date or some stuffy fund raiser then you'll want to visit this site.  It has some funny takes on how to fake appreciation with those who believe one must always take art seriously.  And its also a great starter guide to art appreciation, basic historical context and sure-fire ways to make your child hate art. Let's avoid that last one!  Enjoy.  I call it, "Art Appreciation for Real People";  http://arthistory.about.com/od/art_appreciation/Art_Appreciation.htm

Going Another Direction --> Singapore Bound!

So, its about time to do something different - I mean really different.  I've just had an itch for way too long to break free from the normal walk of life.  Not that it isn't good, it is.  I've appreciated all that life in the suburbs has provided.  However, it seems there surely must be more to it.  Life seems to have so much more potential than I've seen.  I'm convinced it can be far beyond expectations, anyone's expectations.  So, today I've finalized my decision to pick up and move across the world to Singapore.  Will it be so different?  Probably.  The culture, the people, the region of the world and, my favorite, the food!  They'll all be different and that's exactly what will make it so interesting and enjoyable.  Damn exciting if you ask me.

I'll make the move this coming January.  I plan on taking two suitcases and my two dogs; Escher & Higgins.  That's it, no more, no less....well, ok, I'll take some cash too.  I've kept an eye on the weather there.  Seems its quite consistent, upper 80's and humid every day all year long.  It is 9 miles north of the equator after all.  Plan on living in a little - seriously little - studio or one bedroom. Furnished places seem to go for about the same rent as I'm paying now - they're just 1/3rd the size :-(  Dogs will need long walks daily.  Food is fairly cheap though and trains make getting around easy.  Ideally I'd like to get a job selling cars; Audi is my top choice but VW, Porsche, BMW, Lexus and even Hyundai would be great too.  I'll still be running the art gallery on the side.  I'll begin searching for new artists in the southeast Asia region as soon as I arrive.  Can't wait to try every new Thai dish I can get my hands on.  Visiting near-by countries will be easy and fairly cheap I hear.  In addition to Singapore there's many to see; Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Thailand.  Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines are within reach too at 5 to 6 hour flights.

I'm casting preconceived notions aside and keeping my expectations wide open.  I'll likely say "yes" much more often whether its some scary sounding side dish or a trip to some far off village to take in rarely-seen sights.  I'll blog these adventures along with photos of tasty and fun morsels (alive or otherwise), sights of both grand and daily life (love photography - "shooting" for a photo like that Indian girl with the radiant green eyes on the cover of NatGeo), and of course new friends and the people I encounter along the way.  I'm sure it will be interesting or at least odd enough for some entertaining stories and a life lived well.  In the end, I have little doubt there will be unforgettable times.