What is the meaning of this word “ART”? Yes, it’s a general question. It is Big because there is no right or wrong answer. Everyone has his or her own idea of art.
I am curious about the details of anything. I like to ask questions about small details, then I try to find the big answer for everything I need, but I found out that I spend most of my time and energy jumping from one question to another and I found myself thinking and going to my own inner world all the time. I realized this did not work, so I decided that I will go for the big question. Maybe that will help to calm down my mind and focus on one thing.
Art is our own way of living and dealing with life, things. Some of us are lucky to have been born creative and have done beautiful and original things. But others just repeat what everyone else did. Not everyone knows how to be himself or herself and not anyone else and that is what we call “NORMAL”. Everyone can look at it from her own point of view.
I asked a question to a French artist, Vincent Floquet, who I met last week, when I attend his exhibit in Jeddah. I told him I want to ask you about the art itself. He opened his eyes, touched his glasses and said. “Oh, the Art itself.” I asked him this question without explaining what is going on in my mind. There was no time to explain, he was busy, but when he opened his eyes I knew that he understood that it’s a huge thing to talk about. Well, maybe we only talk about a tiny part of it, but i told Vincent Floquet that I’m always curious about what the artist feels or thinks about when they paint. I look at the painting and try to figure out what the artist felt when he painted it. Usually I feel something. I do not say that I have a super power and I know for sure it’s just what I like to do when I see a painting that I love: I build a connection, then I try to see behind the colors and the lines.
The Artist with “The Reader” painting
Mr.Floquet told me that he paints when he feels like he is full of something. And he said: “I try to put what I saw in my many travels into my paintings and the art for me is speaking about something. That is why I do not paint a lot because I do not have a lot to say.”
In Mr.Floquet’s paintings I saw a lot of faces. I was curious about this. I’m still thinking about these faces which were hidden in the paintings. It was like I was standing with a thousand eyes looking at me. But no one was there except me and my friend. It was as if everyone the artist had met in his life was there hidden in his paintings.
I saw a lot of great paintings in other Art exhibits before. Some of them I could not afford or the painting was already sold. And sometimes I feel like I’m not ready yet. But it was special day for me because I met the painting that I could not pass by without buying it. I ignored this strange feeling I had when I feel like I’m not ready this time with a painting titled “the Reader”. The day after the exhibit, I called Mr. Ahmad Huseen and told him I wanted this painting. I remember when they put a red label that announced that this painting was “SOLD.” I had a strange dream that same day, it was full of red dots and I felt worried like if I’m about to have my first baby. I woke up asking myself, “where am I gonna put it? Or should I hide it?”, but what is the point of buying something pretty if I can’t see it every day or let other people see it? It was a lot of pressure I did not expect. But I’m willing to go through this for “The Reader.” I think I will take a good care of this painting, as it is my first Art purchase.
I have to say that everyone who visits the exhibit will take a trip visiting the places the artist visited before. Everyone will start in France, then Italy, New York, Philippines, Indonesia, Colombia, Africa, and then finally Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, and then end the trip on Hail Street. The painting of this street was spectacular and was one of my favorites. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford it. Lol.
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