Being in my 50's, I obviously did not grow up with social media, the internet, cell phones or even a wireless one. In fact, we had only one phone in the house to communicate with the outside world and it was a good old rotary phone on a party line.
So as an artist living in the new millennium, embracing technology, and sharing my work in cyberspace; I find it can either artificially inflate your ego at times or make you doubt your ability based on likes or comments.
(Yes, I know it's been 17 years since we've been living in the "new" millennium, but if feels just like yesterday that we celebrated that extraordinary milestone and feared the Y2K crash. You must be over a certain age to be able to commiserate with me.)
One of my pieces, "Political Quagmire" has elicited several comments on Facebook about it's meaning. I realize this reaction is contributed more to our divisive political climate and the new president rather than my actual collage. Regardless of how it's interpreted, I find it fascinating as the artist to read how people view it from their eyes. Social media is a wonderful vehicle for that. Below are a few posts I found of the more interesting comments. I've blurred the names and faces to protect the innocent.
From August 2016, when I first shared the finished collage.
From February 2017, when the piece made the cover of "The Devil's Strip", an Akron publication on local happenings.
Thanks to everyone who follows me on Facebook. I truly do appreciate your input and conversations. You can find my explanation and what to look for in the Political Quagmire here or hey, if you like the piece and would like a limited edition print, you can buy it here.