I believe that there are two factors limiting the development of contemporary art. These factors are 1) the amount of time that western society has to appreciate contemporary art 2) the lack of socially relative content in contemporary art. Ironically, these factors exist at a time when Western Society is searching for a common identity. Yet, instead of creating familiarity, contemporary art deconstructs every representative aspect of Western culture. I believe that as an artist in the postmodern global community it is our responsibility to provide a form of visual representation that will remind society where it has been in the past, where it is in the present, and the direction it is heading in the future. Although many visual means could be utilized to obtain the viewer's attention, the fundamental element of "classic" art needs to be present to add structure to the artistic expression, to provide content that the viewer can relate to his daily experience.

Traditional viewing of art has been suppressed. The workweek has evolved into an undefined and competitive environment. Pressures put forth by modern communication and new technologies make it easy to be trapped in a daily routine and remain unaware of the external world. This environment leaves little room for the appreciation of art. Due to the distractions of the modern society I believe that before an art work can be understood, it must first fully engage the attention of the viewer, compel them to stop their routine and experience something new. The way in which the artwork is presented is instrumental in communicating the artists' idea. My goal is to provide a medium that establishes a conflict - a conflict between classical representation and abstraction - derived from what we accept in our everyday lives. My aim is to take my ideas out of the studio and to place them amidst corporate advertising. However, instead of selling a product, my goal is to market existential themes to the public, which would be contemplated thereafter.

However, it is not enough to rely on capturing the viewer's attention. It is also important for creative work to provide a visual representation that is built upon common issues that help viewer to relate to others with in the global community. Contemporary Art in Western Society reflects the postmodern tendency to be deconstructive or non-representational. Although deconstruction is important in the development and liberation of the creative process, it does not portray any qualitative meaning to the viewer. I am interested in creating a classically structured dialogue, based upon contemporary social issues, which allows the viewer to satisfy his impulse to define and rationalize his world, while at the same time subconsciously corresponding to his inner world that transcends it. My work is based on developing a method of communication that addresses Man's intrinsic proclivity to order reality and give meaning to it. My goal is to establish a dialogue that questions existential phenomena; but the task of assigning meaning through the details of experience is left to the viewer.

In order for visual art to constructively communicate with in our community, it is essential to establish an interaction based upon our common experience. I hope my work will allow the viewer to reconize these social themes and help to illuminate the similarities of our experience.

Written by Tobin Butcher

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