Trying Not to Say too Much

When people ask me about my artwork, it is common for them to want me to explain why I chose a certain model or posed that person the way I did, or why I used the lighting I did, etc. These are natural questions, and I (usually) personally have good reasons for why I did these things. But my reasons are not answers for the viewer. The decisions I make simply set the stage. The viewer fills the artwork with meaning. For this reason I choose not to answer every question because sometimes the question is more powerful than the answer. My goal is to provide a platform for those questions.

Last year in an interview with Smithsonian Magazine Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons television show, caused quite a stir when he supposedly revealed that the "true" location of Springfield, home of the fictional Simpsons family is actually Springfield, Oregon.

“Springfield was named after Springfield, Oregon,” Groening said in the interview. But that doesn't mean that the city where the Simpsons are supposed to live is actually based on Springfield, Oregon--just that it was named after Springfield, Oregon. Asked by E! Online about the location of Springfield Groening answered, “I have no idea where the hell it is. Like all Americans, I flunked geography.”

The shows creators have long tried to keep secret Springfield's location. The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean told TV Guide Magazine that Groening's revelation was actually a misunderstanding. "They misinterpreted something I've heard him say for at least 10 or 20 years. He was inspired by growing up in Portland, but it's really an every town. It's really funny. Matt grew up in Oregon and parts of The Simpsons were definitely inspired by his childhood. But there is no specific state that Springfield is in."

Later in the interview with Smithsonian Magazine, Groening gives evidence that he never intended to make any announcement about Springfield's location: "In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it’s their Springfield.' And they do.... Whenever people say it’s Springfield, Ohio, or Springfield, Massachusetts, or Springfield, wherever, I always go, 'Yup, that’s right.'”

Like the Simpsons, my artwork is made more interesting by the fact that I don't give the viewer all the answers. I appreciate the questions, but I direct many of them back at the viewer. My work is about finding personal meaning. I don't want the viewer to simply understand my work; I want the viewer to become part of the work.

In the portrait below ("Grace" 2012, Oil on Canvas, by Daniel Jared Sorensen), I chose to position the model in a way that creates direct confrontation with the portrait looking straight back at the viewer. The viewer is forced to deal with this confrontation and attempt to read or interpret the emotion of the subject. The neutral expression doesn't make the task easy, and the viewer may not figure it out, but if I can get the viewer to question my work then my job is done.