I went to the Rittenhouse Square Art Festival this weekend (twice). I never understood what “mixed media” was yet ended walking home with an original piece signed by the artist. He took the time to explain exactly what went into producing layer upon layer of various materials; canvas, oil, metal shavings, tapestry, leather and more. I was fascinated how tiny portions of elements contributed to form a holistic and cohesive piece. Something you couldn’t capture the dimensionality in say an oil or water color. Check me out … Mister Mixed Media know it all!
I’ve always followed the unspoken rule of art and taste. If it connects to you and invites you in, you just may have found a piece worth investing in. Well the piece connected so strongly that I walked away no less than three times before insisting I had to have it. I guess you could say it spoke to me. And so did the enthusiasm of the artist who manned his booth. He was so enthusiastic explaining the entire process of his piece. He was young, maybe eighteen, and exhibiting with his father and mother who were more established in the mixed media craze. Turns out I was his very first sale of his career. We took pictures with the piece and his proud parents. He signed the back of the canvas and wrote something about letting it strike you in the most sincere meaning of love and connection as possible. (Yes, he was eighteen.)
I got the piece home and found a homogeneous space to hang it in, not too engulfing nor tight. I marveled at how it drew me in. I’d found something that spoke to me and made me feel like a connoisseur of the arts. I felt like I got it. If it’s about what strikes you, you can never go wrong. Would that the crucial elements of today’s current atmosphere just step back without judgment and decide for themselves … hey this is what I connect to.