Question Everything

February 11, 2025


In life, we are taught from a young age to follow rules and adhere to conventions. These guidelines provide structure, stability, and a sense of order. However, there comes a point where following them to the letter can restrict growth, especially in creative fields like art. The most transformative artists, from Picasso to Duchamp, have demonstrated time and again that questioning everything is not only allowed but essential for innovation.

Value of Rules 

Before we can break the rules, we must understand them. The rules are the tools that help us navigate the world and create with purpose. In art, these rules often include technical skills like perspective, color theory, and composition. A well-executed portrait or landscape may follow these rules to perfection, and it is indeed impressive when an artist masters these principles. The power of convention lies in its ability to communicate clearly with the viewer and produce recognizable representations of the world.

But the beauty of art isn't just in the ability to replicate reality—it’s in its ability to transcend it. To evoke feelings, challenge perceptions, and provoke thought. True creativity doesn't come from simply following a blueprint. It comes from bending, twisting, and at times, shattering that blueprint entirely. But in order to do so, the artist first needs to know the rules deeply, intimately, and consciously.

Illusion of Art

Most of what we see in art is an illusion—a calculated manipulation of materials that presents a subjective reality. When we look at a painting, we're often not seeing the world as it truly is; we are seeing it through the lens of the artist's mind, filtered through paint and brush strokes. The lines, colors, and textures aren't an exact representation of the world; they're tools used to express emotion, tell a story, or capture a fleeting moment in time.

This is the essence of art: the illusion that is created when an artist uses their knowledge of the rules to distort, transform, or even break them. The brushstrokes of a great painting might seem erratic or imperfect at first glance, but they are deliberate choices meant to provoke thought and emotion in the viewer. The juxtaposition of light and shadow in a painting isn't a mere reflection of how the world is; it's a way to make us feel something about it.

Challenging, Provoking, and Questioning

To truly find the truth in art, we must be willing to challenge, provoke, and question the very nature of what we're creating. This requires courage, for it means stepping away from the comfort of the known and diving into the unknown. The best artists do not simply accept the status quo. They question the conventions of their time—whether it be perspective, color usage, or the very idea of what constitutes “art.”

For example, consider the work of Salvador Dalí, whose surrealism shattered conventional ideas of time, space, and reality. Or think of Jackson Pollock, whose abstract expressionism rejected the traditional methods of representation, opting instead for spontaneous, chaotic splatters of paint that challenged the notion of what a painting could be. In both cases, these artists created something that was deeply personal, emotionally charged, and yes, revolutionary because they dared to question the conventions of their craft.

But questioning isn't always about drastic, radical shifts. Sometimes it’s about asking small, meaningful questions that shift perspective. In the realm of art, it can be asking what a piece of art can evoke emotionally, or how far an artist can push the boundaries of the medium itself before it stops being “art” and becomes something else entirely. It’s the willingness to ask: What if I did this differently?

Truth in Art

As an artist, embracing the process of questioning is an essential part of finding your own truth. Truth in art is not a universal constant—it’s unique to the artist and to the viewer. What one person sees in a painting may differ vastly from another’s interpretation. Art gives us permission to explore our own version of truth and reality. When an artist questions conventions and challenges norms, they invite others to do the same. This journey is not just about breaking rules; it’s about discovery—discovering what resonates, what connects, and what stirs the soul.

The pathway to truth in your art lies in the willingness to disrupt the expected. If everything remains predictable and familiar, then art becomes nothing more than a copy of something already known. But when you ask the hard questions—when you challenge the standards—you open the door to discovery, growth, and innovation.

Freedom to Challenge

Rules are useful, but they are merely stepping stones toward creativity. They offer structure and support as you learn the craft. But the true magic lies in questioning those rules, in exploring how far you can stretch the boundaries without breaking the essence of your voice as an artist. Art is about freedom—freedom to create, freedom to explore, and freedom to challenge the very notions of reality itself. In questioning everything, we come closer to uncovering the raw truth of our creative selves, and that is where the true power of art lies.