Creating a Wrong Work of Art

Almost all of us grow up reading comic books as a child. Today, comic books have become very sophisticated for adults as well. Your first experience with art may have been viewing art that depicted a story or narrative. As time passed you saw art as reference images to give meaning to words and language learning. It was through children’s picture books that helped you learn to understand language and words. Again, art took on a narrative understanding for each of us.

When we first went to a museum most of us were shocked at the art that was depicted because we had no reference to any of it. The various forms of abstract art left us confused because we had no context for it as we did growing up looking at comics, and picture books. We were told that an artist was great but we did not understand why? Most of us thought that because I cannot draw or paint like they can that I can never be an artist so we turned out attention elsewhere. This is a learned path of experiencing art that is incorrect.

Education is largely taught to within the realm of right and wrong, especially when we are young. Therefore, it is important to relearn how to appreciate the art, perceptions, and understanding beauty. You are taught early on to color within the lines but images are more interesting if you don’t. Cows do not fly in the sky but it’s fun to put them there and far more interesting. So we are forced to change our thinking to be grounded and boring. Along with this process goes our self-esteem in thinking that we are creative.

On the sheet of paper that has been handed out create a super hero image that is completely wrong. Maybe create a figure that has multiple heads, eyes and limbs? Think of how color is used. Can you make the image wrong? As you purposefully create a wrong image see how it feels to you to do so. Do you feel odd and a bit weird? Such is the emotion of unlearning what you were taught as a child as it relates to art. How wrong can you create?