The Meaning Behind Your Art Doesn’t Matter… As Much As You Think
- Linda Forrester
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
As artists, we’re often told that our work should carry deep, intellectual meaning—that our concepts should be profound, symbolic, and laced with commentary. But what if that’s not the key to making an impact or even making a living as an artist?
What if the meaning you put into your work isn’t the most important part?
This might sound like it goes against everything you’ve been taught, especially if you’ve had any formal art training. But in the real world—the “village of commercial art sales”—buyers aren’t looking for complex symbolism. They’re looking for connection.
Two Villages, Two Mindsets
The art world is split into two distinct "villages":
The academic/postmodern village—publicly funded galleries, universities, and institutions where ideas, shock value, and meaning reign supreme.
The commercial village—markets, festivals, local galleries, online shops, and private collectors where people buy art to live with and love.
In the postmodern village, skill is often seen as outdated. There, a urinal or a rotting meat dress can win awards because of its message. In the commercial village, people value beauty, craftsmanship, colour, composition, your view of the world—art that reflects the artist’s heart and speaks to the viewer’s spirit.
People Buy with Their Heart
Art buyers aren’t reading essays or artist statements when they fall in love with a piece. They don’t ask, “What does it mean?” They feel something—and that feeling is what makes them take it home.
Trying to merge these two art worlds is where many artists struggle. You can end up creating work that’s neither meaningful enough for the academic world, nor beautiful or emotionally engaging enough for everyday buyers.
Instead, focus on what resonates. Even when you are creating to an exhibitions theme, keep this important message in mind if you wish to sell your works as well.
The Power of Emotional Impact
Tim Packer, an American Artist that I highly recommend, relays a story of a soldier recently returned from Afghanistan—found peace for the first time since coming home. Just by standing in a room surrounded by his paintings, he felt calm. He visited the gallery every day for two weeks, drawn in by something beyond words.
This wasn’t about the artist’s intended meaning. It was about what the artwork gave the viewer: peace, stillness, healing.
I have also experienced this kind a feedback from hospital staff and a chaplain who passed on messages of gratitude for the murals I have painted at Proserpine Hospital. To me this is the most rewarding kind of art.
Isn’t that what we all long for our work to do? To offer something true and beautiful to another soul?
Meaning? Your Joy, Your Passion, Your Skill—That’s Enough
If you love to paint joyful things, do it wholeheartedly. Don’t feel pressure to be “deep” for the sake of it. Develop your skill. Honour your voice. Let your love for your subject come through.
Your viewers will bring their own stories, their own wounds, and their own joy to your work—and they’ll find the meaning that matters most to them.
So if you’re an artist trying to find your place or trying to sell your work: remember that the most important meaning in your art isn’t the one you put in—it’s the one your viewer finds.
Comments