mountains . watercolor on paper 28X36 cm 

 

Ideas in Creation

Every human creation, every application, everything crafted by human hands is driven by ideas. These ideas shape the outcome and the practical solutions. Ideas are generated by creators, scientists, engineers, and individuals from all walks of life, with the aim of addressing immediate or long-term problems or needs. In the specific realm of art, ideas focus on the content of the work and the resolution of practical challenges across various media. Ideas may gain widespread acceptance, fade for a period, sometimes resurfacing in different times, or be overshadowed and forgotten as new ideas emerge and push them aside.The idea of painting the world in a way that creates a three-dimensional optical illusion, particularly through the use of linear perspective, was developed and formalized in the early 15th century in Italy, notably by Filippo Brunelleschi, and gained deep traction in Europe. Paintings that mimicked reality, imitating what the eye sees, became a cornerstone. The concept of using human forms and environments—real or imagined—to depict mythologies and religious narratives in three-dimensional paintings became a vital tool in forging a connection between the Christian Church in Italy and neighboring countries and its believers from the 15th century onward. Similarly, the idea of painting portraits of wealthy individuals to immortalize them in three-dimensional form, embedding hidden meanings and hints, also took root during this period. Later, other ideas emerged, such as expressing emotion through colors without relying on recognizable forms from the world around us, as seen in abstract painting at the start of the 20th century, along with many other ideas that shaped subsequent painting styles. An idea, once introduced at a particular moment in history, is often adopted by other artists who refine its application or preserve it as it is. For example, the use of three-dimensional painting as a sophisticated illusion was enhanced over centuries through optical tools like the camera obscura, polished mirrors, and lenses, which were developed as technology advanced to improve precision and amplify the illusion.The idea of preserving rules and themes through neoclassical art, resisting innovation, was challenged by the Impressionists in the mid-19th century. Throughout history, we observe periods of development and renewal of ideas, ideas that contradict or supplant earlier ones, as well as periods of stagnation and fear of change. This depends on various societal, cultural, and religious factors. New ideas are sometimes rejected or mocked until they gain acceptance. When Matisse presented his Fauvist painting of his wife in Paris in 1906, a novel approach to using color and space to depict figures and landscapes, the audience ridiculed both the painting and the artist. Ideas can be embraced or invented, but the critical question is whether they are feasible and whether society and culture will ultimately accept them. Not every artist cares whether their ideas are accepted. Did Duchamp truly care what critics at the art salon thought when he first exhibited his urinal? Artists have ideas about content and presentation. The fixation on presentation ideas becomes the artist’s style, allowing us to recognize them—Anselm Kiefer, Pollock, Vermeer, Van Gogh, and Cézanne. Each used different ideas to express the content and emotions that captivated them. Some artists cling to a single style until their death, while others seek to reinvent themselves.