Art

While art is often considered as an artists expression of his or her own unique ideas, perspectives, and interpretations, it is still undeniable that art is also appreciated and evaluated from a public or societal point of view. As a matter of fact, throughout history, art always had a purpose or meaning in society furthermore, aspects such as history and culture of course result in a diverse view of art as further defined according to region or location (Kleiner 69). In this sense, as an artist, it would be important to define ones world view in relation to art as well as to assess whether other more established artists or groups either share a similar stance or exhibit a distinct approach. In relation to this, it would be appropriate to assume established artists or groups have acquired greater acceptance, applause, or attention for their work from the society which may even be from a global perspective. Also, aside from comparing ones work with the accomplishments of more established individuals, it would be beneficial to further expound upon ones philosophy in art. Therefore, through both a comparative and reflective approach, it would be possible to learn more about my current state and development as an artist.      

Defining My Art
Prior to comparing and contrasting the art of a more established group with mine, it would be most appropriate to first provide an overview of my own artistic creations. As seen in Appendix A, Squares and Circles which is basically made from wood and paint criticizes the simplistic and straightforward manner in which individuals comprehend objects or notions around them. To further expound, while it is evident throughout society that upon hearing of great numbers people would immediately equate it with great mass or size, such a manner of thinking would only result to hasty generalizations and improper conclusions. In this sense, Squares and Circles does describe measurements but instead does so in a manner which is definitely not straightforward. Hence, those who would attempt to understand the piece would need to set aside usual notions regarding number and size in fact, appreciating Squares and Circles would entirely bring forth a need to detach ones self from a logical perspective and instead assuming a relative or interpretative view. In essence, while objects such as numbers and measurements are utilized, the piece initiates the need to appreciate art subjectively rather than logically without doubt, the importance of being able to manipulate ones approaches and views according to purpose or context should not be forgotten.

Another critique of modern day human tendency is expressed in Smores, constructed from cotton, sponge, and steel, as may be seen from Appendix B. To explain, making or acquiring smores has undergone significant changes throughout the decades as simplicity and convenience has been the apparent theme of modernization. In fact, aside from being able to purchase readily made smores requiring minimal effort prior to being eaten, the common means of roasting the marshmallow on the campfire prior to being sandwiched between crackers and chocolate is already a symbol of both a lack of attention to detail as well as the dwindling emphasis upon precision and effort. It would be appropriate to assume that many still know of the best way to make the most ideal smores, which is to meticulously heat the assembled crackers, marshmallow, and chocolate on the campfire through the use of a stick. The aforesaid means of making smores is highlighted in Smores. In general, while such a meaning may not be apparent from a quick glance of the piece, from a personal perspective it is an ideal representation of the lack of emphasis and importance placed upon time, effort, and precision in todays fast paced world.

In Appendix C, the Process of Pyramid as made from cardboard expresses the importance of process. Being a process art, the steps accomplished prior to completion instead of the actual structure is focused upon. To further expound, the pyramid is among the most perplexing structural wonders made by ancient civilizations, which up to now have not been fully understood by scholars in terms of how such were possibly built. Of course, in attempting to discover the secrets of the pyramid, it would be necessary to entirely assess the manner in which each of its parts have been built and utilized to develop the whole. In turn, modern day society in general has evidently placed a limited focus upon the importance of a proper process and instead highly praises means of acquiring the end product through the easiest means possible. Hence, in effect, it would be appropriate to assume that individuals are affected detrimentally by such a mindset as they become less critical of the occurrences throughout their surroundings. While being complacent may be viewed as beneficial since anarchy would definitely not result from such, being overly complacent and not using ones mind would also be counterproductive to the pursuit of furthering society.        

The fourth and last work, as seen in Appendix D, is constructed from plaster, sand, and paint. The reason as to why the piece is untitled is that it represents any individual in a similar sense, it may also be perceived as a collective presentation of society. To further explain, it represents the manner in which the human spirit has been continuously disregarded in modern society in favor of intellectual capability and potential. In general, my works as mentioned and discussed above maintained as well as embodied meaning amidst simplicity. Instead of focusing upon the use of specific materials, I try to utilize a diverse assortment of such albeit not necessarily leading to excess and unnecessary inclusions. The materials chosen do not have any symbolic representations and are also chosen based upon accessibility. As one may realize from the discussions above, my art is certainly a manifestation or extension of my own views and are as a whole often symbolically pertaining to unnoticed or disregarded concerns in society. In essence, I do believe that the changes brought forth by technology and globalization has resulted in numerous repercussions especially in relation to mental and spiritual identities of individuals or the population as a whole.

Compare and Contrast, Establishing Distinction
After having established a suitable overview of my work and its meaning, it would now be appropriate to establish a comparison between my art and the art of a more established group which in this case is Bulgarias 71. Having existed since 1997, the 71 Visual Arts Association have definitely made their presence known in the aforesaid country as they have been involved with numerous projects and large-scale exhibits interestingly, the focus of the groups art is considered to be the interconnection between societal and physical aspects inspiring the creation of relatively large structures (Tsvetkov et al.). Of course, in order to expound upon the details of the aforementioned groups approach in art, it would be necessary to discuss a few examples of their works. In Appendix E, Membrane which is made from transparent wraps precisely arranged and overlapping manner to block the path may be seen specifically, the structure formed from the transparent wraps is seemingly in-apparent yet a significant obstruction to separate the two locations symbolically representing expectable changes or shifts from order to disorder (Nikolchev et al. Membrane). Hence, it is quite obvious that the group is also without doubt inclined towards the analysis of societal issues and phenomena as well.

Another interesting piece by the abovementioned group is referred to as the Blur, in which synthetic nets are the main material used to further expound, the structure allows for an actual or physical means of achieving the same effect as the blur tool common seen among graphics editing software which highlights a view wherein a greater immersion in the appreciation of art may be achieved by an individual situated between the nets while viewing paintings in a gallery (Nikolchev et al. Blur). From such details regarding the structure or 71s accomplishment, it becomes evident that not all their works embody social criticism or phenomena. In particular, works such as Blur, merely emphasize visual or aesthetic possibilities. Even though the aforesaid work represents immersion, it is of course apparent that such a symbolic appeal does not necessarily pertain to a specific societal issue or viewpoint and instead is more indicative of a pursuit to manipulate the physical aspects of perception. In this sense, from such aspects alone, it would not be a challenging endeavor to differentiate my art from 71s. Specifically, the most suitable aspects upon which the two may be compared and contrasted are as follows meaning, scale, material, and style.

In terms of meaning, my art so far is exclusively a critique or reflection of concerns which I believe are ensuing in modern day society on the other hand 71s works either represent a common occurrence in society or at times may simply be considered as a manipulation of physical aspects such as space to achieve a certain visual effect. In this sense, it may be appropriately assumed or even concluded that my art is more inclined towards representation and symbolism while 71s art may either assume a similar trend or may basically be made to achieve aesthetic effects and value. In addition to such differences, it is also essential to determine whether scale may also be considered as a point of dissimilarity. Without doubt, the scale in which 71 creates structures such as those pointed out above easily dwarfs my own works. However, I do not necessarily place a constraint in the size of my creations but of course limitations in terms of working space and the availability or supply of materials result into works of minimal scale. In relation to this, planning to utilize or manipulate wide spaces such as in 71s works or structures is not necessarily a realistic endeavor from a personal perspective. Nevertheless, if given the opportunity, creating works of such scale to depict my views on societal issues would definitely be an interesting endeavor.

There are of course similarities between my art and 71s. One of the most apparent being in terms of how materials are selected. Both my works and 71s structures are indicative of a myriad of different materials, wherein no specific trend or bias towards the use of a single or a few materials may be seen. In my case though, such diversity in the use of materials merely explain my attempts to broaden my experience however, in terms of 71s structures, it is quite evident that materials are selected, while not always the same, according to its applicability for building the end product. Also, a similarity may be identified in terms of approach or style in presenting a meaning or message through art to further expound, my works albeit seemingly simplistic is representative of an ensuing problem in society while some of 71s works exhibit a similar role. While appreciating such works of art from a generalized or entirely aesthetic perspective may be possible, it would be necessary to understand the innate symbolism present in order to entirely comprehend such.  Despite such similarities though, it would be appropriate to point out that my art requires a deeper analysis for the meanings are much more elusive due to the aforesaid simplicity in form in a sense, my works may be likened to a nursery rhyme which contains encrypted information.                                                

Philosophy, Concept, and Interpretation
Throughout the previous discussion, it has become undeniable that my art is an extension of my own perspectives regarding society and in a way serves as my means of criticizing certain aspects of the modern age. In relation to this, it would be appropriate to note that while art may be a manifestation of ones skills there is certainly more to its creation than mere appreciation. In fact, Walter Benjamin pointed out in his writings that while art has a ritualistic aspect, it is the reproducibility and availability of art which brings forth its political nature (Price 64). In terms of my works, the possibility of allowing individuals to view images of the work even with the lack of an opportunity to view the real object provides an appropriate span of time for analysis and understanding in essence, as the number of individuals who may view my works would increase through the use of modern technology, those who would be able to comprehend its societal themes would further increase as well. From a personal perspective, meanings are the most vital aspect of art which should not be superseded by aesthetic value. Instead of providing amusement and comfort, art must assume the role of making individuals realize the presence and severity of contemporary concerns which are often disregarded despite being quite apparent.    

As Bataille claims that meaning cannot be lost or destroyed despite the presence of sacrifice (Boldt-Irons 224), in parallel the same may be said for an individuals knowledge of the concerns of present throughout society. Thus, if evident representations or messages regarding such problems are not sufficient in reawakening ones thoughts, then the creation of works of art which induce analysis and interpretation may be the best means for such a goal. As noted beforehand, my art represents the detrimental changes that modernization and globalization have brought forth to society in general historically, people are not limited or defined according to convenience or the pace of life and in effect are able to grow and mature individually from a holistic perspective. However, as noted beforehand, individuals are currently facing problems regarding the capability to adapt to and comprehend issues as well as accomplishing the pursuit of defining ones self mentally and spiritually. Losing or not achieving such potential and eventually succumbing to the lack of self-identity due to the necessity to follow global needs and trends, is similar to Fanons concerns on colonialism. Despite the fact an individual may reside in the country wherein he or she was born, depersonalization as brought forth by colonialism still deprives the individual of self-identity as it is manipulated by a few (Bhaba 58).        
It is appropriate to state that Art is as much a manifestation of individuality as it is a symbol of a regions culture. Through my work, I encourage people to once again value their own potential and growth and focus upon defining themselves. In contrast to generic images or representations of success and survival, which mainly come in the form of financial capability and managing life at the pace of modern society, people should learn to form their own aspirations and learn through their own capabilities and approaches in thinking. In this sense, my art may also be considered as my own attempt in defining myself and accomplishing tasks with a critical perspective so as to maintain social and self awareness. Despite not being entirely of high standards in terms of aesthetic value, it is important that my works still serve as an undeniable extension of my individuality and unique ability as an artist. Thus, my current approach in art is without doubt my own means of providing the fact that fulfillment and meaning would only come forth to those who do not allow themselves to be defined by the inappropriate trends in modern society my art, or the messages that it embodies, represents myself as it is a reflection or a symbol of who I am, one who is always vigilant in maintaining my own ways and directing my life through my own will.

Conclusion
Throughout the discussion, it became clear that my art is a symbolic manifestation of my own views and beliefs. Instead of merely being considered as art for the purpose of aesthetics, my art may be best considered a criticism of the modern global society as possibly brought forth by both modernization and colonialism. Interestingly, there are art groups which share a similar perspective in art albeit not entirely. To explain, while 71s structures are at times indicative of a deeper meaning reflects societal themes, some of their accomplishments may still be considered as mainly for the purpose of visual stimulation or aesthetic enhancement. While I am proud of my current stance as an artist, 71s combination of works for different purposes or aims highlight one of my greatest doubts. Upon becoming a professional artist, would it be possible that altering my stance to a degree, to fit the demands of modern society and the world, would be necessary to also gain acceptance and success.