Whenever we think about art, talk about artworks, as well as gaze and analyze works of art, inspiration comes to our minds. Oftentimes, our curiosity leads us to the question, “what are the artists and objects that inspired the creator to depict such an image?” Art inherently evokes feelings of wonder, amazement, irritation, or sometimes, boredom, in the viewer's mind and emotions. We might be startled by different works of art and the message it reveals in our own brains, but a lot of times, we question the artist's goal and ability to create meaningful work with these simple words: "what is going on with their heads?" We are often amazed by the creative impulses of an artist so in turn, we try to think creatively as well. With that, we try to find artists and objects of inspiration that can give us a boost of motivation and a focal point that will lead us to imagination and creative discoveries.
As a beginner artist, inspiration doesn’t come easy, no matter how much we try to look at things and force ourselves to be inspired. Remember that inspiration comes naturally– it comes from within and it can’t be forced. But, as we continue to look into different objects– may it be objects from nature, technology, etc., or look into the lives and works of different artists, a “eureka!” moment will take place. So, in this article, we will be giving you artists and objects of inspiration that will inspire you to create artworks. Continue reading this article to get a creative jumpstart!
Our minds take off the moment we stare at a masterpiece: for example, the realistic blend of colors of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the large artistic scale of Michelangelo’s frescoes at the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel, the emotional brushwork of Van Vogh’s the Starry Night, and the angsty yet calculated paintings of Banksy. We might never really know what went into their heads that drove them to create their opus, but one simple thing is for sure: they’re creative because they’re inspired. And it doesn’t matter where that inspiration came from because it can come from a lot of things, all blended into a beautiful picture.
Inspiration 101: Artists and Objects to Transform Your Ideas into a Masterpiece
Sometimes, we already have an idea in our brains but we don’t have the right “tools” that can help us assemble it. That’s where artists and objects come in – not only do they serve as an inspiration for creation, but they also help you become a better artist through teaching you different styles, techniques, and even life lessons that you can apply in the canvas.
Artists
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Jean-Michel Basquiat:
Known for his contributions during the Neo-expressionism movement in the 1980s, Basquiat progressed from being a street graffiti artist to a downtown punkster to a celebrity art star, thanks to his close friend and Pop Art icon, Andy Warhol. His artworks showcased his mixed ethnicity through a visual vocabulary of personally meaningful marks, figures, and characters combined with a variety of styles and techniques. His paintings frequently featured words and text, his graffiti was full of emotions and frequently abstract, while his symbols and icons had a strong historical and cultural relevance. Despite the abstract aspect of his work, he effectively and consciously combined plenty of various traditions, methods, and styles to produce his unique visual artworks that resemble a collage.
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Salvador Dali:
Hearing Dali’s name will immediately make us think of surrealism and his melting clocks figure in the painting, Persistence of Memory. Dali was known for his eccentric persona and reputation as a mischievous rebel in the art world. He is regarded as the most versatile and innovative artist of the twentieth century, as well as the most recognized Surrealist. Various obsessive themes, such as sensuality, death, and decomposition characterize Dali's work, demonstrating his knowledge of psychoanalytical ideas of the period. Dali's art is filled with symbolisms from animal images, religion, personal life, and childhood experiences.
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Frida Kahlo:
If there is one word that describes her the most, it would be the word “icon.” Frida Kahlo painted over 200 paintings, most of which were still lifes and portraits of herself, family images, and portraits of friends. During her lifetime, she kept an illustrated notebook and drew a lot despite her disability. She made eerie, sensuous, and brilliantly creative artworks that blended aspects of fantasy, folklore, and surrealism into dramatic stories using methods she acquired from both husband, Diego Rivera, and her father, a renowned architectural photographer. Her work was very pictorial, in contrast to the twentieth-century tendency toward abstract painting. Although she accepted portrait commissions occasionally, she sold very few paintings throughout her lifetime.
Objects
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Nature:
Anything that comes from nature can be a source of inspiration. While we use nature to create artworks, they are also a representation of nature. Exploring nature helps us get connected with the world around us and our inner world, too. With these two combined, we are bound to make a great masterpiece. From the beautiful flowers, trees, and leaves, to the chirping sounds of the birds, and other phenomena of nature, these can be transformed in another form that will contribute to the beauty of life.
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Books:
From tales of mystery, imagination, and wonder, to autobiographies of artists, renowned historical figures, inspirational people, to poetry that will revive your artistic senses, books have a way of inspiring you as an artist– and it comes in different ways. The playful words in books help us create a vision in our minds that we can use as an inspiration to sketch, paint, and create. From vision to creation, and skills enhancement, books of all sorts can definitely teach you more than a thing or two on how to be a better artist.
Key Takeaways
These are some of the artists that can serve as an inspiration in our own journey as artists. Basquiat taught us to be brave enough to shut our critics, especially those who prevent us from being unique and creating our own style. On the other hand, Dali taught us to let loose and not be afraid of our weirdness– rather, use our weird personality to capture audiences. Meanwhile, Kahlo taught us to creatively express ourselves no matter what the hindrances are. Because these hindrances can help us empower people to create artworks as well.
When it comes to objects exploring nature and reading, books shape and mold us as artists, they also give us a sense of who we are as a person, which can be translated into a visual language that we can share with others so that they can get to know us better through the artworks that we make: these are just some of the ways that artists and objects inspire us.
