Why do you show your art? That’s one of the questions we are asking in our interviews for the ASCA film. We have gotten a few pretty standard replies and one person didn’t understand how we could ask that question. It was taken for granted and never thought about.

Is it an ego boost? An opportunity to make money? (with the noble cause of producing more art no doubt) Do we show to gain the respect and admiration of our peers? To boost our visibility and become famous? To share the inner truths we have discovered with our poor sightless companions. To awaken a sense of moral outrage. To motivate, comfort, shock, and challenge.

It seems to be divided two ways. Do I show for me or for the viewer? I have said in the past that showing my art is the next step in the creative process. I think thats bullshit now but I meant it then. I want to let the paintings fulfill their destiny. Let my children go out and see who they are in the context of the local coffee shop.

I’d hate to be seen as one who needs the support of their peers before knowing if it’s good or not. Damn it: it’s good, you just aren’t ready for it yet. You’re not at a place where you can understand, poor dears, someday maybe. I’ll die a martyr and the accumulation of my life’s work/folly will be stacked by the curb. A couple of smaller pieces hopefully scavenged by a passing painter with more visions than money. Then one day a century from now someone will find an old jpeg languishing on an ancient disc or in the hard drive of some professor of history and people will discover what was right under their noses the genius overlooked artist.

Why do I show my art?

I don’t know why.

Sure I still want to be famous but I’ll settle for enlightenment.

Sure I want lots of money (to make more art of course with maybe a large screen hdtv to watch pbs of course)

Yes I do want the respect and admiration of my peers, and at the same time I can’t stand them. “I wouldn’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.” Thanks Woody.