I believe that my art that speaks to the soul of the common man. There are no esoteric or hidden meanings. No deep, dark attempts at soul-searching. Nothing that speaks to the human condition which, if you think about it, most contemporary art depicts as depraved. Nothing ugly, distorted, gross, or simplistic. I have no special insights or abilities I’m trying to convey. I see beauty and I want to record and share it. There is enough ugliness in the world. Why would anyone want to put that on his wall? Why not instead something that uplifts and brightens, something that gives pause for the wondrous beauty of the natural world or the goodness of humans rather than the opposite? Why would anyone want to look at a depressing image on a daily basis? What is the point of making people agitated and stressed out? Isn’t art supposed to calm and restore the soul? Would it not be better for this world to create something beautiful instead of ugly? Ugly is depressing. And soon all that ugliness looks pretty much the same – boring and narrow.
I hope that the talents that God gave me can be used to raise people up, not tear down; to elicit feelings of well-being and happiness, because in the long run, isn’t that what we all want?
Mary McInnis joined Fine Art America on July 17th, 2009.
