“…the further I go, the more I understand that it’s imperative to work a great deal to achieve what I seek…” – Claude Monet

 

Art has many ways of being seen as it has many ways of being produced. In the art world, the term “art series” is placed as an adjective when the artworks follow a certain idea, philosophy, &/or theme. Many artists, such as impressionists Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh, have made art in the form of series. Both Monet and Van Gogh would work on repeating a single object or landscape on different canvases by studying, observing, and remembering their subjects.

Nevertheless, there are some artists who seem to be against working on art series because they either don’t want their art to “become boring and repetitive” or they want to create different things in order to have something different for the spectators. One thing is clear, no one in the public will be the same. However, when the pieces of an exhibition have nothing in common except for the artist, the public automatically feels overwhelmed and bewildered. Thus, the lack of correlation in the artworks leads the spectators to believe that the artist is an amateur and hasn’t found their identity.

So, whom will the artist make the art for?

First, let’s talk about the public, the spectators, the ones who will let the artist be distinguished.

“I make art for myself!!” that’s okay, calm down. If you want to feel free, do it. But, if you also want to be a renowned artist, you must think of the public as well. Humans are strangely attracted to the idea of correlation between things. Therefore, if the artist provides the spectators with artworks that share the same theme, they [spectators] will more likely feel amazed by the art and maybe even buy it, even if it’s not their preferred theme.

EVERY IDEA IS GOOD ENOUGH, even if the artist feels the contrary.
Nonetheless, when a particular idea begins to form and gives the artist that epiphany-sort-of-feeling, the idea begins to stretch and transform as it is worked on, leaving the artist with the possibility of creating multiple set of works. It doesn’t matter who does what, if you work with conceptual philosophies or more tangible things, in the end we’re all working with our obsessions.

To work on an Art Series…

First, the artist must first choose a theme, idea, and/or philosophy. Remember, sometimes the first idea isn’t “the one”. Just cultivate your patience until and idea is fully formed. Meanwhile, keep working on different projects to maintain a certain balance. After the idea has wrapped itself around your brain, create sketches, write down notes, and do research; really anything that you believe will help the idea transform. Most important, STICK WITH THE IDEA! The breaking down of this particular idea is what will allow the artist to create different work and therefore, an Art Series. Once all the artworks are done, your goal should be to have the series exhibited and ultimately bought by art collectors. I understand it is easier written and said than done, but after all the introspections and breakdowns the artist will surely have, the effect on the spectators will be worth it.

 

Remember: DO NOT WORK WITH AND IDEA THAT DOES NOT ABSORB YOU!