Art is Like Sex

      Art is like sex, the best leaves us with an experience that makes us want more, the worst makes us run away and hope to forget. The comparison works both for the artist when he creates a work of art and then for the spectator of the work when he experiences it.

      Like with sex, too much technique and repetition can kill a work of art even before it is completed. The artist should have the sensation that every work he creates is the only one, something slightly risky with an un-guaranteed result. When the artist approaches his work with a preconceived formula in his head he may fall into a series of prearranged technical actions that lack any real inspiration, the resulting work will often be lifeless and dull for all the display of technical mastery. Just like in sex, the artist should be in the moment when he is creating, this leaves him open to the unexpected surprise that may in fact turn his work into the most memorable of experiences. For the artist the risk of trying something he has never tried before and does not already technically master can be the doorway to creating the most inspiring work of art. When the artist works in this way and has this experience, he simply cannot wait until he is back in the studio again.  In short, there should be risk, there should be a sense of being completely in the moment, there should be the unexpected surprise and the artist should feel real satisfaction with what he is doing.

      For the viewer of a work of art the metaphor holds true. It would be good to say here that not every work of art is meant for every person, but that there is a work of art out there for each of us. When viewing a work of art for the first time, the viewer should feel some immediate sensation inside of him in reaction to being in the presence of the artwork. It should challenge and surprise him. It should give him an intense emotional reaction that will later leave him replaying the experience of having seen the work of art long after he is away from it. The work should create the need in him to experience it again and again. As with sex some increasing experience of viewing art will help the viewer understand better what it is that he is looking for or likes. Unlike most relationships though, cheating is recommended when it comes to art. The viewer may be loyal to a work of art or to an artist in general, but the more experiences the viewer collects the more he will appreciate what he already has seen or he will discover even greater experiences that he could not previously imagine, in either case the result should be that the viewer has had a memorable and emotionally intense experience with an artwork. The experience of viewing a work of art should be a profoundly emotional event that leaves the viewer feeling like his entire universe has shifted, if not then the viewer should really just move on and forget the experience. Just because a spectator has not had such a moment with a work of art does not necessarily mean that art is not for him, it probably means that he has not yet found the right work of art. 

      Finally it would be good to point out that like with sex, no matter how many books you have read on the subject, or opinions you have heard, both for artist and spectator, in the end it is an extremely personal experience the outcome of which ultimately depends entirely on the particular individual involved; the theories break down and we are left only with one choice, to stop talking or thinking about it and come what may, give ourselves up to the experience.