Vol. 14 : Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.
（絵を描くことは日記をつける別の方法だ）
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There have always been people who have kept diaries — whether it be Natsume Soseki or my mother jotting down a few lines each day. And I'm sure many ST readers keep diaries too. But actually our subject this week isn't diaries. Not literally, anyway. We're going to be looking at how an artist's work can act as a form of diary. Sound difficult? Well, it isn't really. What we're going to do is look at a couple of questions raised by this week's quotation from Picasso.
So, "painting is just another way of keeping a diary."
First, let's have a look at the word "diary." What does Picasso mean? Some people use a diary to express and analyze their thoughts and emotions, particularly in times of confusion or extreme emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, etc.). Writing a diary can give you clarity. Other people use a diary as a record, so that later they can look back to see what they were doing or what they were feeling in the past.
I think Picasso leans more toward the former use. I think painting was an expressive outlet for him. But at the same time, inevitably, his paintings have become a narrative of his life. Not a literal narrative, but an emotional, artistic narrative. I think this applies to many artists, not just painters, although clearly some artists put more of themselves into their work than others.
Now, let's flip the subject over and look at it from the opposite angle. Can diaries be a form of art? That's a tough question. Let's narrow it down a little. In Japan, at any rate, diaries or personal anecdotes are often considered a form of literature. But should it be? For a start, literature is fiction, and personal anecdotes are not fiction. Does this matter?
The questions don't end there. Isn't recounting anecdotes, in itself, a way of showing reality through an aesthetic lens, and isn't that what a lot of fiction is? Isn't memory unreliable? Don't people remember things how they want to remember it? Isn't memory also a kind of fiction?
Well, that's a lot of questions and there are no right answers to any of them. Still, it's fun to think about them. Keep them in mind when you're next at a museum or gallery. Discuss and debate it with your friends. Question their opinions and question your own opinion too. I guarantee you it is rich food for thought.
Q1 Based on this essay, which is true?
A1) All artists use their art for self-expression
A2) Painters use art only as a creative outlet
A3) Some artists tell us something about themselves in their work
正解： A3) Some artists tell us something about themselves in their work
Q2 What does Kana say you should do the next time you go to a museum or gallery?
A1) Look at the artwork
A2) Think about whether art functions as a diary for the artist
A3) Debate with your friends whether it is good art or not
正解： A3) Debate with your friends whether it is good art or not
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