In doing the module, we have been asking the question of what art means to us and why it means that much. So, in the style of Matt Chewiwie, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss my artistic statement and what it means to me.
What are your particular interests to art?
I have many interests when it comes to art. Partly, I’m a massive fan of musical theatre, drama and comedy as I feel they are the most enticing forms of theatre. But, mainly, the interests I have focus on the idea of storytelling as I feel that theatre comes from stories. Stories are things we find interesting and I think that these interests are important as it allows us to enjoy something more than scratching our heads and wondering what we watched. Therefore, my interests are fixated on the use of storytelling in performance and how they can not only engage an audience but bring them into an enticed manner.
Do you rebuke certain ideas about art?
Not really. Art can mean a lot to different people and to be honest, I won’t inflict my own views. If you want to like other ideas I hold then that’s fine. I just believe that sometimes when it comes to art, we become too fixated on making a point. Whilst I don’t disagree that art can be used to make political statements or that it shouldn’t, I do believe that it should be entertaining for starters. Otherwise, what is the point in making theatre when your audience would not feel engaged or interested in your work that you have created? Art should be a mixture of things but above all, it should be entertaining.
How can art be entertaining?
Art can be entertaining over a mixture of ways. Just because it is entertaining does not mean it must be funny or light hearted. If anything, it can be serious or abstract. So long as it is used as a way to captivate an audience and engross them into a show, that is how it can be entertaining. It has to be something that makes the audience feel like an active participant rather than a voyeur observing it from the outside. In many ways, art is entertaining because it is a way to express ideas. However, the strength of art relies on it to be explicit and accessible to any audience. So long as it is clear and tries to tackle it in a interesting manner.
What do you want audiences to take away from your show?
A mixture of things. But, evidently, I want it to be two things. Accessible and entertaining. To me, the theatre is a place for anyone and everyone. It should not be for the highbrow or for those who have to read an entire textbook to understand art. So, I want my audiences to take away that the show should be accessible and something that anyone can connect to. Whether its something based on social media or anything, I want to rebuke any form of hierarchy and help an audience in understanding that art can be for anyone.
But evidently, I don’t want to use art as a means to make a political statement or a issue. If anything, I want it to be fun and something that can entice an audience so they are engaged with my work that I produce onstage. I want theatre to be, at its core, a hobby and an experience for people to watch. Theatre should not be focused on making statements. By all means, we can make statements concerning world issues, like feminism for example, but it should be something to enjoy. At it’s heart, I want my work to be entertainment first and anything else second.
So that is my artistic statement, in the next few posts, I will discuss ideas I have in mind for my solo performance that I wish to do. Till then folks.