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ABOUT THE PROJECT
Sometimes, it is the friendships, rather than art expertise, that possess the power to make seemingly impossible-to-understand art possible. Friends of the artists who maintain long-lasting relationships with them, despite having no knowledge of their specific artistic works, can serve as ideal interpreters of their art. They may not have realized it, but through this project, one will come to explore and appreciate their value.
Inspiration
Let's Talk About Your Friend's Art (LTAYFA) was born from Jennifer Chen's long-term observation of living between artistic peers and people outside the art circle. Before, Chen felt that the arts were distant; however, during her undergraduate studies, she became fascinated and inspired by exploring the arts. She quickly realized how entering an art academy drastically changes art students' understanding of the world. As they began to perceive their surroundings more carefully and were cultivated to see the world from an artistic perspective, it led them further away from the general public's thinking, making it difficult to communicate with others about their art, even with those they used to have close relationships with. Feeling stuck in this awkward situation, artists developed two separate modes to deal with the outer world, hoping to coexist with society as artists.
In this context, friends who do not have art knowledge stand in an interesting position. They know the artists well in areas outside of the art world, but they have no knowledge of them as artists. Despite this, they maintain a strong bond. This is where the idea for the project was born. Perhaps the artist's social presence should not be regarded as superficial, but rather as "the other aspect of the artist."
Methodology
The project intertwines the gathered insights from one-on-one interviews with artists and their friends, unveiling their unique perspectives towards selected artworks. The conversations with the artists commence with the inquiry "tell me about your art," while discussions with the friends begin with "let's talk about your friend's art." Chen learns from both perspectives on how they interpret the artwork, then she becomes the weaver of stories, situating herself between the two worlds. She organizes the scattered thoughts, and weaves them into a tapestry of narrative.
The "conversations" between artists and friends provide more context to the viewer, enabling them to be inspired by the text and generate their own meaning for the arts.
Values
Artists are human, and their art is relatable to both you and me. Their artistic thoughts stem from their life experiences, making them the truest reflections of their existence. Therefore, the arts should not create distance between people or dictate the "correct" answers for interpretation. Instead, one should embrace the flexibility of art appreciation and feel free to seek their unique perspectives when approaching the artwork. This project harnesses the power of friendship to uncover and reveal personal connections with the arts.
Goals
The project seeks to provide an alternative way of appreciating art and overcome the challenges that the general public faces in viewing it. It aims to remind artists of their relationship with society. Additionally, it is anticipated to bring each artist-friend pair closer as they participate in the project.
PROJECT ORGANIZER
JENNIFER CHEN
arts administrator
"I love the art people, and I love the non-art people, but I always struggle in the situations of the two not able to understand each other. I thus get inspired to become an arts administrator, and try my best to bridge the gap between the two." - Jennifer Chen
JENNIFER CHEN is an arts administrator who earned her Bachelor's degree in Visual Studies from Taipei National University of the Arts in 2021. She received her Master's degree in Visual Arts Administration at New York University in 2023. With a background in fine arts, she deeply understands and connects with young contemporary artists. She hopes to support their art, and she believes that the arts have the power to build a better world.
Organizer's Notes
[LTAYFA offers a push for exploring the other side of a friend.]
The project serves as a catalyst for artists' friends who may not usually recognize their friends' professional lives. It encourages them to involve themselves and learn about the other aspect of their friend's life. Through these conversations, all discover that their friends are not so different as artists than as friends. This is not solely due to their limited knowledge of art confining the message perceived, but rather highlights how the artist's views and values are intricately connected with their overall perspective.
Reflecting on life experiences, artists tell the most truthful and sincere stories of their own, which explains how their ideas are connected as friends and as artists. As they translate indescribable thoughts into visual artwork, it provides an opportunity for their acquaintances to explore and unlock unspeakable concerns and emotions through art. While not all friends may gain extensive insights from the experience, artists are always touched when their friends are even a little inspired by the messages they are delivering through their art.
[A friend might know your art better than you thought, even if they have little or no knowledge of visual arts.]
The project triggers and utilizes the power of friendship, allowing the artist's friends to bring in their exclusive ability to view art. Their access to the inner world of their friend distinguishes them from any other interpreter, making them a distinctive ambassador to their friend's art. They are capable of revealing the
art's potential in a way that an art expert could never fulfill, and these insights are desired to be shared with the public to provide an alternative approach to seeing the works.
The project remains shrouded in the unknown and instability since it is impossible to predict what will be discovered in each interview. Nevertheless, there are no unsuccessful cases even if the friend fails to learn much from the art. As the texts lay out the process of understanding their friend's art, it provides clues for the readers to understand why and how the friend relates to their artist friend in such ways. The imperfection adds a layer that makes the artists more "human-like," as people do not showcase every aspect of themselves to others, and one does not know each other in every aspect, even if they are close friends. It sometimes reveals some personality traits of the artists that lead the friend to this opinion.
At the heart, the social and artistic aspects of a person are inherently interconnected, and should not be viewed as separate entities. This project leverages this interconnection to break down barriers between fields by empowering friendship. Friends play an indispensable role in uncovering the potential of artists and bringing it to the public, enabling a more comprehensive view of the artist and fixing the long-held flattened view them. Even if someone may not be aware of the value of their opinions, they should not be underestimated. This is why I believe it is crucial to bring this project to fruition and bring it to people.
[You are a qualified art interpreter without extensive knowledge.]
Yet, it is not saying that only having an artist friend could enable one to interpret art since there is no correct answer in viewing any artwork. Ultimately, interpreting art is very personal, and the audience should be true to their heart and what they conceive. The friend's opinions, as compared to the artist's, serve as a perspective that brings something more connected to the artists as a person. It is an inspiration that triggers new findings when approaching art. Also, the friend's status serves to tell the public, "if I can understand, why can't you?" as they are non-professionals in the arts. It guides the readers through a more amiable entry of approaching art, and it is expected to make them feel a bit less distant from art at the end of the day.
While I agree with artist Hsieh Yu-Ciao’s statement that artists should never treat the audience like a fool, I believe this also applies to the audience themselves. Viewers should never underestimate their ability to interpret art. LYTFA is meant to trigger a broader and more flexible view of the arts. Finally, I hope that readers will take the time to delve into each pairing and enjoy the exploration.
© 2023 Jennifer Chen