The Fine Art Of Failure

Walter Robinson, Real Life magazine, art failure, 

Reading Walter Robinson's article, The Quest For Failure (1985), in the Real Life Magazine collection, I contemplated my own failure, or to be precise, how much of a failure I am or could be and how much it mattered, along with the very meaning of 'failure' in art. 

Funnily enough, I thought about all this a few weeks before reading Robinson's piece and concluded, as he did, that to fail one must first really try to succeed, which presumably entails courting the 'right' contacts, such as gallery owners, curators and buyers. I'm unsure of the procedure because I fail in even trying to succeed, which may be the ultimate in Failure.

One may 'fail' artistically (if it's possible to divorce creative production from the mechanics of the art world, which many would argue it is not. I once watched an art student in a film proclaim that art is more about business than making art) only in the sense of not achieving the image/idea/vision one hoped for in a piece. That aside, as you know, all other types of failure stem from the eye of the beholder. There are others, of course, who view an artist's inability to have their work shown as an immediate failing.

I've stated before, but may as well do so again, that the very notion of Failure destroys many would-be artists, simply because they began in the hope of achieving Success. When it doesn't come they are crushed, storing away their materials, giving up their studio and cursing a world that does not appreciate their talent, no doubt. 

Art as a reward in itself is a difficult concept to grasp for those staring Failure full in the face. I would say they asked for it, but that would be a little too cruel. Everyone (almost) is prone to dreaming of Success. But like winning the lottery, the chances are it won't be you and with that in mind we must make the most of reality rather than suffer a life of shattered dreams.