[Today’s featured artwork for Day 64 of the 365 Days Project is by Carlo Alari.]
Do not approach artwork with a Social Media Mind.
#64 – Creating a work of art takes time. Appreciating that work of art also takes time.
When painter Carlo Alari sent me images of his artwork for this essay, the first one I saw was Rosso Angelico, pictured above. It immediately captured my attention but since I was in a rush that day, my quick glance revealed “some really cool shapes and interesting colors.”
Returning to Alari’s painting later that evening when I had more time, I was blown away by what I saw after spending several minutes studying the image – sinuous forms weaving in and out throughout the painting, their transparent meanderings drawing me into the layered complexity of his work.
Then I read Alari’s artist statement: “My technique involves various stages of completion: I apply printing inks to the surface and then remove the ink, producing overlapping signs that interact with each other, creating transparency. This is a very important element in my work and can be understood as: Transparency of Being, in direct contrast to the self or ego which often interferes, creating distortions.”
How many of you have looked quickly at the artwork images in this 365 Days series or on social media and made a snap judgment, deciding immediately whether or not you “liked” it, looking for instant gratification, a three-second understanding of a piece that may have taken months to produce?
I had initially approached that painting with my ego, with the same kind of mindset I use while scrolling through my social media feed. I am the product of a marketing culture where most of the information I receive is broken down into flashes of images and 20-second sound bytes with the sole purpose of getting my ego to react.
Thankfully the world is full of artists and creatives who force us to slow down. They invite us to stand open and transparent before their work in order to understand their deepest messages and to rise above the distortions and distractions of our ego-based lives.
Slow down and listen to the art. It is worth it.
Carlo Alari’s artwork can be viewed on Instagram at: @carloalariartist
Description of the images included in this post:
Rosso Angelico (Angelic Red)
Carlo Alari, Italy
Ink, linseed oil, acrylic plaster on wood
Trittico Dualita (Duality Triptych)
Carlo Alari, Italy
Ink, linseed oil, acrylic plaster on wood
The 365 Days Project
In 2012, Serena Kovalosky committed to writing an article a day for 365 days as an exploration into the lives of artists and the value of creative thinking in our society.
Experience the full evolution of the project! Click below to read the entire collection of articles.
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