It has been my experience that for the most part, Arabian horse owners and breeders are not the audience for my giant contemporary futuristic Arabian horse paintings.

It is not that the Arabian horse crowd does not appreciate beauty and aesthetics, because they do.

It is just that they prefer their aesthetics to be in a more realistic, illustrative, standard style of art depicting the Arabian horse, ideally, their own personal horse or horses. They are quite willing to spend enormous sums of money on a traditional well rendered portrait or bronze of their beloved horse.  This is understandable.

Horses are their passion, not necessarily contemporary fine art, and one does not have anything to do with the other.

 

 

So why do I paint so many Arabian horses when I am constantly saying my art is not about horses and why do I abstract them when I am quite capable painting them with precise super-realism if I choose too.

“You better shop around, good-looking horse paintings come a dime a dozen” and any artist with technical skills and a dose of talent can paint a realistic looking horse.

This video link is a bit off point for this blog posting but it is so gloriously “kitsch” because “It’s a joke son”; I could not resist.

 

My art is NOT about horses.  It is about “Strength of Spirit”.  My goal is not to paint a horse. It is to create a work of art that communicates a message.

The beauty and symbolism of the Arabian horse combined with a fearless kinetic technique, creates a work of art with so much energy and life force that it is palpable.

Sophisticated art collectors get this.  They don’t particularly care that the subject of the painting is an Arabian horse; however, they appreciate the symbolism which adds another layer of meaning to the work.  If they have a special affinity for horses, so much the better.

 THEY are my audience.

So are little kids.

The tiniest of toddlers are CONSTANTLY trying to drag their robotic parents over to look at my giant futuristic horse paintings.  I take this as the highest and purest of compliments.

Teenagers seem to be drawn to these paintings as well.  This has been my consistent firsthand observation.

Neither has the means to purchase art at this point in their lives but never the less it communicates to them and they revel in it because they feel the uplifting energy which lends power and hope.

Young people need to know that there is more good, and more love in this world, than ignorance and evil.

It is the unsung heroes that carry the fate and salvation of humanity and one person can indeed start a snowball effect of good because, love and kindness trumps all.

Even if I won the mega lottery tomorrow, I would still paint these horses because this is what I have to offer.

Arabian horses are so ethereal in their beauty they don’t even look real.  They look like exaggerated fairy tale horses with those big expressive eyes, delicate dished faces, and dragon like necks.  They are also smart, playful, and family oriented, like big puppy dogs.  I find them irresistible and like any artist, I am prejudiced toward my muse.

 

I guess I have always falsely assumed that my appreciation for Arabian horses and the use of them in my art will automatically communicate to the Arabian horse crowd, but this is not necessarily the case.

I have been “beating a dead horse with a stick” by directing my marketing to them, when they are not my audience.

I love the expression, ”beating a dead horse with a stick”, especially since I paint horses with sticks that I find on the ground.

So what now?

Art Basel, are you still out there?

UH OH, I DON’T THINK SO!

BECAUSE,

“IT’S STILL A JOKE SON!” 

 

 

I don’t paint chickens and Looney Tunes characters on horses to be cute.  There is a method to my madness (calculated irreverence and truth) and if you are curious to know why then please read my previous blog posting ART BASEL MIAMI “IT’S A JOKE SON!”

http://artistkarenking.com/art-basel-miami-%E2%80%9Cit%E2%80%99s-a-joke-son%E2%80%9D

WARNER BROTHERS please note that this is not about your chicken but by all means sue me anyway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

and

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/28/chick-fil-a-eat-more-kale_n_1116695.html

Am I from an alternate Universe? 

Oh well, if I am, I am not alone.  Everywhere I look I see funny wonderful people and animals amidst awe-inspiring beauty.

What do you see when you look around?

If you won the lottery tomorrow and you did not have to work for a living, what would you do?

What would give your life meaning and purpose?

Feel Free to post your thoughts below.