FINDING A VOICE

‘Summer at Rigonis’ – 60 x 60 cm | Oil on board

An Adelaide Icon that is now gone.

Finding A Voice - Mike Barr

‘It took me a long time to realise that there is a difference to being a painter and an being an artist.

From a certain point of view, any who paints is an artist. Just like in the music world – there are a million incredible voices out there, but just a few get known for being unique.

Having watched and enjoyed the TV program ‘The Voice’ over the years, it is apparent that the judges aren’t just looking for a voice that can mimic Whitney Houston, but someone who has there own unique sound.  Those who can copy the great singers are just that – copies.

The judges state openly that they are looking for artists and that means they are not copies of other singers but artists in their own right. Some of the most successful singers have not had the most beautiful voices – it’s often about uniqueness more than anything.

The world of painting is much the same.

With so much art available to look at through the internet, it’s impossible not to be influenced by it in some way. In this modern environment it can be hard to find your own painting voice.

The proliferation of online workshops has also contributed to painters having less voice. I think this is seen clearly with plein air painting – there are less individual voices and more choral groups in the world today and such is the way of the influences of the internet.

In more plain language, an artist is someone who can do more than just copy. For instance a painter who can copy a photograph so well that it can’t be distinguished from that photograph, is a great technician, but they have not added their own voice.

The voice of an artist is their uniqueness. It’s what sets them apart from all other artists because it is their interpretation of what they see and feel.

When an artist looks for things to paint, it’s always with an eye that looks for what can be done with it, and not how they can make it the same! It’s about how we can make a scene interesting and not how well it can be duplicated – the camera was invented for that very purpose.

It takes a bit of courage to depart from the reference, whether it be photographic or real life. The safe way is to paint what is there – the way of the artist is to step out.

Finding a voice is neither easy, quick or safe but worth every minute of a painters consideration.

Happy singing!

- Mike Barr