This piece is much more of a narrative piece, depicting a couple embracing as they ride a ship across the open ocean. I need to work on making the ride seem more harrowing to fit the worried and weathered expression on the main subject's face, but overall I like the piece so far.
It is not a "punch you in the face" type of emotion, but a much more reserved sadness and desperation. I feel that a lot of art today relies too much on the shock factor, throwing something at you that may not be thought out or meaningful, but requires reaction just simply because it's....well shocking. I've never been impressed by that. It's easy to think of something that will get a rise out of people. It's easy to find something that makes people feel uncomfortable. That doesn't however, mean that those people's reactions speak to your "message" or validate your artwork. I guess it's always seemed like a cop-out or ploy to me. something like "I don't know how to get people to really consider what I'm trying to say, how can I get their attention and then put meaning to the piece?" I'd rather have it the other way around. Let's get the meaning and then find a way for that meaning to attract people.
I could write "help the homeless" on my chest and go streaking. A thousand people might see me...but most everyone will know me as "the streaking guy" not the "help the homeless" guy and I feel like that isn't quite the same thing...
Anyways, got a little off topic. It's kinda of a harkening back to European art after or during WWII. the human drama is it's subject and it takes human interaction with the piece to really feel it. No ploy or giant announcement, just a simple picture with a simple message. And sometimes thats the best way to do it.
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