The Never-Ending Art Debate - Our Responsibility to Longevity
Throughout my studies as a fine art student and today, there has been a continuous discussion among artists on whether or not the responsibility toward the lasting longevity of artwork should be taken very seriously. In order to ensure a long-lasting work of art, some preventive measures need to be made while setting up the surface as well as when painting (i.e., what materials to use). This extra preparation is not only time consuming, but also an extra expense. It also takes some of the spontaneity out of impromptu artwork. However, being that an artist’s immortality is inbred in every work of art he/she produces, each artist has a profound responsibility to society that his or her work can stand the test of time. This is especially true in oil painting, not only because it is such a traditional and time-honored medium, but also because of the organic qualities of the medium and the propensity it has to degenerate over time. Thus, there has been a never-ending art debate and criticism, particularly among oil painters, on the importance of the preservation of everyday artwork.
The Responsibility Precedes Us
We all as artists admire the noble cause of art conservation and restoration. We know that if it weren't for the technologies that have been developed by fine art restoration societies, then we would not be able to enjoy to the extent we can now the fine masterpieces of a time gone by. People who have dedicated their careers to the arts by applying specialist skills and earning degrees and specialist training in conservation and restoration have afforded us and the generations to come the opportunity to experience the genius of master painters like Rembrandt, van Eyck, Renoir, da Vinci...etc. Important to realize is that these artists from history did indeed apply the importance of longevity to their paintings. Most of them did take extreme measures to ensure that their paintings stand the test of time, but because the degeneration of artwork is fairly unpredictable and nonetheless unavoidable, it is still necessary to restore and protect them. If the masters hadn't considered their responsibility to future generations so seriously, the restorers would have had an even more challenging task ahead of them!
Long after We're Gone
Some of us may question the possibility of our artwork being appreciated at all after we're gone, especially if it gets no special attention during our lifetimes. Although the joke has always been that an artist's work is only worth any real value after he/she dies, many of us may feel that our paintings will never be worth anything, so why worry? The reason that we should worry is because the legacy of oil painting, and art in general, belongs to the artists. Although your work may never seem monumentally profound to society, your paintings are likely to be cherished by generations of family and friends. It always plagues me that I am not fully satisfied to have been the only grandchild out of five to inherit the engagement ring of my grandmother, and the antique furniture of my great grandmother. Instead, I am always wishing that I had more...much more to hold close to my heart in memory of my passed loved ones. Perhaps you have found yourself wishing you had inherited a valuable memento from a passed loved one, like fine furniture or jewelry, but instead live with the disappointment that no legacy was left to you. What sets artwork apart from ordinary objects of sentimentality, is what seems to be the immortal soul of the artists living within the painting.
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