There are a number of connections that can be drawn between the chapter and the studio or class visits we’ve had. It has become observationally clear that most (if not all) artist have to work with the fear of others. And each artist has a different way of ensuring that this fear does not interfere with their work.
The fears related to understanding, acceptance, and approval are deeply interlaced.
The first fear the chapter discussed is understanding. The premise was less about whether the audience understands your work, but rather whether the audience understands YOU and accepts you as one of their own (a fear much that exists everywhere, not just in art). Creating authentic artwork involves exposing your weird-ness to the world, and as such opens the doors for alienation by the world. I love the examples the authors provide, such as the example of being picked last for a game, as such fears are easy to understand.
The talk on understanding reminded me of Ming Poon’s class visit. He in his work, also seems to abandon the idea of ‘fitting in’ the world. He let’s his ideas and thoughts, benign or radical, out for the world to experience without fear of being ostracized or alienated by society and norms around him.
In regards to acceptance and approval, the chapter reminded me of Robert Seidel saying, “Do not underestimate your audience”. In a time of rapid change in regards to the technology and mediums of expression available to artists, sticking to the norms and playing it safe would be a disservice to our artistic potential. We must trust our work, let it speak for itself, and let it be judged honestly. The alternative is mediocrity or worse, inauthenticity. This is bound to cause dissatisfaction with our artistic work.