Truth, by definition is something that is true, factual, without falsities. But in art, the concept of truth sometimes takes on a slightly different nature. There is a feeling, or an aura, around art, that engulfs the viewer to wonder and think about the nature of the piece.
Most people prove a work true, if they can physically see it, touch it, or back up its existence with factual data. To smell a chef’s freshly prepared dinner or run their hands over a smooth marble sculpture, justifies in their mind, that work is real. They know someone sat down and had to create these wonderful pieces. But with the ever waxing strength of Digital Media, these full proof tests for authenticity of truth are failing more and more against new works.
With traditional art, the truth behind it is that there was, without a shadow of a doubt, a great artist thinking and creating behind the work. Looking at their art piece is almost like holding a one on one conversation with that artist. But today, with digital art, the truth of an artist has faded. Looking at a picture on the Internet doesn’t bring any form of emotion, other than perhaps an apathetic “that’s neat”.
Another truth is the ability to easily believe, that this work is the only one. Artist John Doe didn’t rattle off 20 copies of his famous piece, he created one and only one. Truth is knowing that this is the real and legitimate object that artist touched, painted, sculpted, cut and designed. Again, bringing us present to the realm of digital media, this truth has been lost by the easy replication and anonymous nature of the Internet.
Truth is more than knowing the sky is blue, two plus two is four or gravity will always pull us back down to earth. Truth is being secure and feeling safe in our environment. Truth is knowing that what you are looking at is exactly what the artist meant, saw and felt. Today that truth is ebbing from present generations artwork, leaving the pieces not with a feeling of originality and achievement, but much like an orphan not knowing where they belongs or who they belongs to.