“What is Art?” Art is the aesthetic experiences we encounter when we are exposed to new responses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell (McGraw 2013). According to McGraw “no society has lived without some form of art in human history.” (2013) We have the ability to create images that have evolved and find a new relationship with each one. Art is composed of meaningfulness in every aspect, from the artist perspective. The symbolism of art changes from era to era. Art is created by individuals who have acquired traits of; sensitivity, flexibility, originality, playfulness, productivity, fluency, analytical and organizational skills (McGraw 2013). We will later elaborate on these traits individually through pieces of art. The shift of cultures has impacted the trait of art, through eras of history, which impact artist mindset and modern culture.
Carly Renee Frankham, is an Australian based artist, specialized in charcoal drawings, the trends that she follows and creates artworks that communicate strength and power. Her artwork aims to portray, “I always try to communicate a feeling of strength and resilience through my work, keeping my drawings in black and white allows each artwork to be uncomplicated and focus on the main feeling of the drawing, letting the simplicity speak for itself.” She has focused on her technique in photorealism over the years while working on creating a community around her art on social media and always connecting with people who support her along her journey. While she has put a lot of time into creating large scale artworks, she has also focused heavily on documenting her process along the way through photos and videos and sharing that on social media platforms. She has also exhibited at local galleries and cafes here in Australia.
She is proud of the fact that in March 2020 she made the decision to leave a well-paying job in television, shooting and editing TV commercials, to pursue her dreams as an artist. This leap has been the hardest decision so far for her. During the pandemic she took her art full time when the pandemic hit and focused solely on promoting herself as an artist and illustrator. Her message to the fellow artists is something everyone needs to hear, “Work hard and don’t stop. Create every day and don’t let other people’s negative opinions effect you. You shouldn’t expect to be selling your art right away, these things take a lot of time. Instead focus on your love for art and let that be enough for you to keep going. The world needs more artists and creators and anything that you do is always worthwhile if it fills your soul and makes you feel alive.”
According to her the importance of art from a student’s point of view is, “I didn’t go to art school and while it is helpful for some people, I don’t think you need to go. You can make it on your own with or without art school.” Emanuele Dascanio, is her favorite artist, and even he is a charcoal artist, and creates amazing pieces. She is really inspired by powerful imagery. Her focus on big cats recently has been really defining for her as an artist as it translates the feeling of going after what one wants in life and being unapologetic about who they are and what they want