We maintain that a successful piece of art conveys the message it was
meant to convey and that a successful artist is, indeed, trying to say
something with their art. That is to say that if one creates a piece of
art that was meant to convey fear and that fear is never felt by the viewer
then that art is not successful.
Of course it is more complicated than that. It relies heavily on the viewer’s personal experience,
education and open-mindedness.
Does it need to have broad appeal or reach just one person? Are its meanings varied? Deduction of these questions leads me
to believe, and I whole-heartedly do, that an artwork is successful if it
cannot be ignored. It does not
have to be loved or believed. It
may be hated or even feared. The
inability to disregard the art becomes the measure of the art’s success. It’s even better when it calls into
question the very personal choices we make for our own lives. It is in this place that we have found
the success of Dylan Neuwirth’s work titled You
Might Live, You Most Certainly Will Die.
The gallery in Seattle did not have ideal windows
to display traditional paintings. We tasked ourselves with finding
artwork that would come to define our Seattle gallery and us. It would
make relic of the traditional sign and speak to our personal beliefs.
After meeting with Neuwirth it became clear to us that he was the right artist
to produce such a piece. You Might Live,
You Most Certainly Will Die, is a reminder that focusing intently on personal
choices, pursuing passions and embracing risk are necessary in ones comfort
with the inevitable and as such represents our gallery and our purpose
perfectly.
The neon sculpture hovers permanently in our window in Seattle. The piece was mounted on a custom lathe and plaster backing that the artist and gallery collaborated on.
The lathe plaster boards and mounts.
Interior view. Neon sculpture by Dylan Neuwirth, "Imagine a Relaxing Email"
