No-Camera Zone
Art can be broadly classified as either subjective art, that is, art with a subject, or as subjective art, meaning abstract art. Bodies, scenery, objects, etc., are all subjects of art. Abstract art is subject-ive art. I like to think of the artist himself as the subject of abstract art, as his (subjective) inner state.
The subject of art may be from memory or spontaneous imagination (improvised), otherwise it's drawn from object-ive, physical reference. That leaves one more category, the most obvious, when the subject of art is drawn from images -such as photos.
Although it would seem the natural thing to do, painting the homeless outside, in their own environment, does not tell it like it is. The paintings of the Impressionists were vibrant with sunlight, an effect which could not be re-created in the studio, indoors. Being out-of-doors is the main problem of the homeless. The presence of another sketchy character with a wild look in the eye does nothing to help.
The city street, the typical locality of the homeless, has a unique vibrancy. It trembles with apprehension. It is alive with meaning. Anybody who doesn't have to be there stands out in conspicuous, glowing, contrast. There, the observer is an aberration.
Not even Vincent van Gogh would set-up an easel on skid row and paint what he saw. That is not to deny Vincent's sensitivity. The fallen souls of skid row can feel the stares. Everyone is uncomfortable with skid row. It's no place for the curious.
Picture taking in the slum is an immediate red flag, including use of smartphones for picture-taking. Photographing difficult subjects is best left to professional photographers. Far from admitting failure as a photographer, I consider myself as astute an evaluator of photographs as to know professional photography from the casual.
I have my own subject matter criteria. First, people living in the streets are not clowns to be laughed at. Ridicule is not social criticism. If I don't feel sympathy, the subject is rejected for purposes of art. I can't define it. It is inductive. There is a common essence that runs through all my homeless paintings.
Painting's reward, for me, is self knowledge. With my writing, I can be more explicit. How can I reconcile a calculated approach to subject with feeling for the subject?
I am not only a trained artist, but a professional artist, with practical experience working with images. I worked in commercial advertising until I had to choose between my feelings, and feeling nothing for my work. It wasn't difficult in the end. I could have been mercenary but, now I know, I'm not.
One-of-a-kind works of art can be viewed at: https://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/1840403