“UFO and Dirt Tipis,” 6" x 6” (15 x 15 cm) Collodio-Chloride print from the wet collodion negative above.
I think you do.
"Existential art" refers to a form of artistic expression that explores themes central to existentialism, a philosophical movement that focuses on the individual's experience, freedom, and responsibility in an often indifferent or absurd world. Existential art grapples with deep, universal questions about existence, existential anxiety, meaning, alienation, death, freedom, and the human condition (the denial of death). It typically emphasizes personal experience and the emotional and psychological struggle of confronting these fundamental existential issues.
There are some key characteristics of existential art; does your work fall into any of these areas? They include:
Confrontation with Death.
As death is a major concern in existential philosophy, existential art frequently explores death anxiety, the inevitability of death, and how it impacts the individual's sense of self and meaning in life. Death anxiety, the denial of death, and terror management theory are the basis for my work. This is what I lean on for context and motivation.
Themes of Absurdity and Meaninglessness.
Many existential works reflect a confrontation with the seeming lack of inherent meaning in life, a central theme in existentialism. This often leads to depictions of despair, absurdity, or the search for meaning in a chaotic world.
“We are like books. Most people only see our cover, the minority read only the introduction, many people believe the critics. Few will know our content.”
Freedom and Choice.
Existential art often examines the individual's freedom to make choices and the accompanying burden of responsibility. The freedom to define oneself and one's existence is juxtaposed with the anxiety or dread that this freedom can generate.
Alienation and Isolation.
Existential art frequently portrays feelings of alienation, isolation, and estrangement from society, other people, or even oneself. The individual’s search for authenticity and personal identity in a world that can feel impersonal or hostile is a recurring subject.
There are so many artists past and present working in this area. Too many to mention without leaving a lot out. However, a few that come to mind are Wassily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, Paul Klee, and Edvard Munch. Munch’s famous painting The Scream expresses existential dread, or Alberto Giacometti, whose sculptures often reflect the isolation and vulnerability of the human figure.
“What the herd hates most is the one who thinks differently; it is not so much the opinion itself, but the audacity of wanting to think for themselves, something that they do not know how to do.”
Writers like Ernest Becker, Soren Kirkegaard, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Franz Kafka have explored existentialist themes in literature, and directors like Ingmar Bergman and Andrei Tarkovsky have used visual storytelling to explore existential issues in film.
The overarching goal of existential art is often to provoke the audience to reflect on their own existence and mortality and search for meaning in a world that may not offer easy answers.
I’m particularly interested in this because I’ve been making existential art for 35 years. It is a matter of perspective and narrative. If you haven’t read my advice on creating a body of work, check it out.
“I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”
