Ambient art

I have often had a hard time describing my artwork until I ran across a term for a music styling I think fits closer than just saying I do abstracts along with other things. I doubt the term ambient art would fit my landscapes and the other more realistic pieces because realism portrays something specific, but I do believe it covers the abstract work quite well.

Ambient music is usually applied to music and sounds that are sort of background or behind other aspects of an environment. Often it is to one degree or another electronically/ digitally produced and is a a blending or exploration  of styles, especially rhythms. In most cases it is not intended to have any particular meaning or message and usually there are no words. In a lot of songs there is extensive repetition of beats, melodies or added sounds.

Granted there are differences between something visual and something that exists as sound or vibration but they have distinct similarities.

Often abstract artists have a message or meaning they are trying to relay. I don't. In general I am not so sure I am qualified to offer much for sermonizing and I am not inclined to mess up a good design to make it reflect a statement I might feel needs to be made when talking does it better.

I don't mind my artwork being the center of attention for awhile but I think it works better when it blends with the environment or maybe even helps tie things together so there is a flow of color or shape or texture. It doesn't bother me at all that my painting matches the sofa and I think there are advantages to art that is only for the sake of shape color and texture.

I have been using the computer for a long time as another tool or paintbrush to helps produce a finished piece that looks the way I want it to. Some people have an expressed the idea the computer may lessen the merit of creativity I might have but I reject that notion. I can assure anybody that if Rembrandt or  Picasso would have had the PC and software plus printers they would have used them. Art started as drawings on a cave wall. I've never done that nor do I think anyone would want to be limited to a stone tablet and chunk of charcoal.

I have searched the term on the web and see there are others who use it as well. I noticed the application varies considerably from a general application to abstract art to the minimalist movement. I suppose it could be all of that but I do still believe a true application has to exclude art that is "message" oriented or intellectualized to any great extent. If there is an artist statement that takes a dictionary and an hour of deciphering wordage versus meaning then I would venture to say it aint ambient.

In any event ... I use the term ambient because I like the sound of it too. It's my work ... I guess I can.