How Does Art Connect Us?

Art connects me to the whole wide world.

Art is in the details of everything I see, be it a painting in a gallery window, a pair of earrings on a friend, a stranger’s chic shoes, a shadow cast, a colorful guitar on Austin's Congress Avenue, a paint-worn doorway, a well-designed typeface, a fine contemporary building arising above a 1940s neon sign, or the color in the sky — the art of it all connects me to everything my eyes can take in. All of this becomes part of my world, and I’m part of it all, and more inspired and energized because of the connection.

Tree of Gold, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico oil on canvas by Jann Alexander © 2013

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Art connects us all, though we may not think much about it. Most certainly, it connects the artist to audience. In my creative work, a visitor to my studio recognizes a landscape in New Mexico that I’ve painted, or an Austin landmark I’ve photographed, or reads my novel Unspoken, and responds with questions that lead us into conversation over shared experiences. I’m enriched by the information the viewer shares. The art or novel become more meaningful to us both because we’ve made a connection with one another.

Appreciating art is often described as an enriching experience.  As Fine Art Views founder Clint Watson notes, “Sharing your art enriches my life. But, more importantly . . . Sharing your art enriches your life.” The same is true when we discuss the books we write and read with one another. The creative work we make becomes richer to us in the act of making connections over its value.

Texas Proud Since 1964 by Jann Alexander © 2013

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Art is made for many purposes, and experiencing art is very individual. But whether its purpose is to share beauty or enlighten with ideas or to make a written statement or to capture a moment or place or person, art always serves to connect the artist with its viewers. A connection made over art is not easily lost or forgotten.

Art can connect strangers with similar passions. Fans of my Vanishing Austin photography series often get in touch to sound the alarm when another iconic Austin landmark faces the wrecking ball. Everyone recognizes the desire to make a place immortal when immortality can never be achieved. Art can serve that purpose for some: a photograph of a lost place offers some solace to its mourners.

Mocha Madness by Jann Alexander © 2014

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Finding art in unexpected places connects strangers as well. My Madness for Mocha image connected me to Ryan at Thunderbird Coffee, a barista who put his all into his mocha art, inspiring me to admire and photograph my coffee before drinking it. His artistic creation was fleeting, and was made with that knowledge, yet my photograph made the connection long lasting.

Art buyers often make their purchases based on these shared connections. We all prefer to associate positive memories with the art we collect. We’d like our art to have a story behind it, one we can share with guests to our homes, one we can nurture over the years that we live with the art. As humans, we’re already hard-wired to seek out connections, and naturally, we’re attracted to art that offers us connections. Whether we recognize that impulse or not, we find that art connects us. 

Let's connect here again, and on my blog, Pairings, and get social, too.