When studying art, we talk a lot about “practice.” One might think this means repeating the same task to improve your results; however, as we dig deeper into art practices and meet more artists, the word practice develops a deeper meaning. Practice for an artist means to dedicate time to being in a state of creation (even when you may not feel inspired to create). Knowing this, I tend to see works of art as relics from the inner world of the artist. A great example of this is the work of Eric Vacheresse and his latest exhibit at the Vanderelli Room called ”Gatekeeper.“
A group of friends and I saw the show when we attended the first Franklinton Friday of 2022 on January 14th. Franklinton Friday is a monthly event in Columbus, where one block in Franklinton opens up with dozens of open studios and gallery exhibits. I was particularly stoked about this show because I’ve seen the artist’s work before and had seen sneak peaks of the exhibit on social media. My brother Anthony described Vacheresse’s aesthetic quality as like an “ancient Keith Haring, like he was buried and archeologists found him and dug him out.” There is definitely a grittiness in the gentle boldness of colors used in his paintings that creates a timeless feeling. The subjects in the paintings are ambiguous and spiritual, with a quiet narrative of a lost shaman embodying both form and abstraction. The artist’s statement follows:
“With this body of work I want to convey the always changing and expanding landscape of the mind. We have the subconscious power to construct corridors, pave pathways and erect gateways entirely with in our minds, with our thoughts. In my paintings I depict this subconscious landscape as similar to the natural world with strange structures and shapes inhabiting it. The colorful lines and arches represent forever moving and changing thoughts through this landscape. The sculptures made of wire, foam, plaster and found objects are meant to be the creatures and forms we create in our mind for protection or companionship.”
By nature, the subconscious mind exists beneath conscious intent. Without deep exploration and practice, the subconscious landscape is likely to be shaped by external factors. For those not aware that such a space exists, something as magical as Vacheresse’s playscapes might be limited to illusions and ideas that stagnate our potential as humans. This reminds me of how important it is to have a growth mindset. I stumbled across a video by Tom Bilyeu about just this, shown below.
Tom discusses how EVERY human is capable of extraordinary change. I know this, too, just by experiencing how my own life can transform within a year. This perspective, combined with my creativity, has led me to having beautiful dreams and goals, making the journey of my life knowing where I want to go and figuring out how to get there. In this sense, like Tom says, “how I spend my time is a spiritual question.” Being strategic with my time as well as having a disciplined practice that is led by the desire to achieve my goals and fueled by my belief that they will be achieved is the answer, for me at least.
To have a practice is to be committed to growing as a person, and, as an artist, to expanding your inner world. That is exactly why I love going to Franklinton Fridays, because I get to experience the relics of other peoples mindscapes. After all, we are all pioneers of consciousness, whether we know it or not.
