My Place in the Art World

*this is simply an introductory post to submit along with my blog link*

Pilgrimage on the Isle of Cythera

by Jean-Antoine Watteau

The fall of 2013 was a chaotic semester for me. My original plan to major in Graphic Design fell through, and I found myself without a true path to follow. I ended up taking various art classes (ceramics, drawing, electronic art) in an attempt to find a new calling for my seemingly empty future. 

Then one day it all came together. Along with the other studio art courses, I was also taking a modern Art History course. I must admit that despite my love for the freedom presented in the arts, the left side of my brain had always been the stronger one. Whether it was math, science, etc., I had no trouble mastering the subjects that did little to quench my imagination. 

Like I was saying, I remember sitting in my Art History class as we were beginning to delve into the Rococo style of painting in the early 1700's and thinking how pleasant it would be to live in the world of Watteau's Pilgrimage on the Isle of Cythera. As the professor moved on to talk about Neoclassicism,  I did a 180 (along with the 1700's art world) and was overcome by the nobleness presented in David's Oath of the Horatii. How I could possibly like both when they were complete opposites was a mystery to me.

Oath of the Horatii

by Jacques-Louis David

The more I though about it, the more I realized that it wasn't so much about my preference to the artwork, but about my ability to comprehend their individual meanings. Suddenly, the class was no longer about memorizing dates and names of people long dead, but about finding the deeper meaning each artist intended to convey in his or her work. The divide in my brain had finally merged. I could now easily remember the facts and data while simultaneously admiring the beauty and meaning.

It was all clear now: my future was directed toward mastering the history and significance of the Art World. Whether this is a dead end or a new beginning, I finally feel a spark of interest I had lost last semester that will motivate me to venture down the new path I choose to follow.