Douglas H. Caves Sr. Answers "4 Questions"
1. Your stories/memories are personal. What do you think about viewers
bringing their own interpretation to your paintings?
I think of making art objects as an attempt to communicate the ideas of one’s inner
world to the world at large. And, as with a spoken conversation with others, the meaning of one’s ideas are processed through the personal lenses of each participant. The responses reflect the transformation an idea goes through as it is
discussed amongst participants. It can engender a greater understanding, an expansion of the idea and how it fits into the cultural context of the time. To present one’s work to an audience invites reaction, invites interpretation. Each interpretation conveyed to the artist informs the original idea with a wider breadth of meaning and understanding of how the idea is situated within the context of the audience. Audiences vary, interpretations vary. Responses can be useful and instructive and lead to an expansion of the idea. They can also be dangerous and
menacing to ones sense of self-assuredness. Inviting and receiving interpretations is a way to grow as an artist. Feeling, processing, and analyzing other interpretations helps an artist to better define and convey their ideas in a more
culturally meaningful way.
Creating art objects is akin to an attempt at bridging the inner world of ideas with the broader external world. Much like a spoken conversation, where ideas are filtered through the unique perspectives of each participant, artistic expression undergoes a metamorphosis during discussion. This process can yield deeper
comprehension and expand the original concept’s relevance within its cultural
context. When an artist presents their work to an audience, they invite reactions and interpretations. Each interpretation—conveyed back to the artist—adds layers of meaning and understanding. Audiences vary, and so do their interpretations. Some responses prove instructive, fostering idea expansion. Others, however, may
challenge an artist’s self-assuredness. Yet, embracing and analyzing these diverse interpretations becomes a pathway for artistic growth. By feeling and processing these insights, artists refine their ability to convey ideas in ways that resonate culturally.
2. How do you overcome creative blocks?
I overcome creative blacks in several ways. Discipline, curiosity, playfulness and forgiveness are useful elements in the day-to-day life of a creative career.
Discipline: One has to show up each day, ready to work. One has to provide oneself with the time, the tools, the environment, and the materials that go into creating a thing, manifesting an idea. One has to selfishly guard against distractions that rob the artist of time and space to work. When circumstances prevent this, one has to turn inward and use the period of abstinence from daily work to internalize a cache of ideas and inspiration. I read once that an artist works with his hands, his mind, his heart, and his soul. The key is to live one’s life as an artist, to see the world with wonder and awe, and to humbly attempt to
converse with it daily.
Curiosity: One has to be open to the reaction of the senses to the surrounding world, to the universe at large. Why, what, and how do things happen? How do things affect us? How do things shape me? How do things feel? What is our
culture about and how does it work to edify and how does it work to denigrate our spirit? What does that mean? How does that make me feel? What do I want to say about that? How do I make that color?
Playfulness: One cannot take oneself too seriously. The concept of “breaking Set” every once in a while, is one I embrace. Taking a break, every once in a while, can be healthy. Taking time out to play is important to the soul. Having a healthy sense of humor will get you out of the doldrums most times. I think that, as with love, absence can make the heart grow fonder. The return to the studio after a break from daily work is like coming home from an adventure and now, you finally get to tell your stories. So called blocked periods can be periods of transition, where an accumulation of ideas can coalesce into inspiration that moves one further along their artistic journey. Allowing oneself to work out ideas that are new and challenging, where you are bound to fail at first, but will learn something in the process, is an important part of the overall process of trying to make art. One can face obstacles while getting back to the studio after an extended absence, upon which one has to refer to the concept of discipline.
Forgiveness: It is important to forgive oneself and forgive the world. Art as a lifestyle can be both rewarding and devastating. No doubt about it. When I fall, I endeavor to get back up. It is not always clear that I will be able to, but it is the
wanting to that matters. There is no benefit in holding on to non-productive feelings. The luxury to think freely, to feel openly and fully the world around us requires forgiveness. It requires acceptance of our limitations and an awareness of our desire to exceed them.
3. What is your biggest inspiration?
A powerful source of inspiration for me is the joy and surprise a particular play of light on a particular object or group of objects can bring forth within my heart. I am inspired by anything that creates a gladness in my soul. And sometimes I am inspired by the gloom of the world, by the struggle of the soul to see through the mist of the present into a larger vision. My sources of inspiration have evolved in tandem with my ability to express my ideas about what a painting is over the years. Paintings by the Masters have inspired me since I was a young child. I think the biggest inspirational concept that fuels my work these days is the search for a visual equilibrium of the dynamic and
passive elements within the picture plane that most closely reflect the concept for which I am reaching. I want to search out and feel the most poignant relationships between the positive and negative spaces within the composition. I want to
discover the effects that particular colors and textures have on the composition and the “read” of the painting. The hope of discovery inspires me to keep creating.
4. How does your art affect other aspects of your life?
I think of being an artist as a way of life, a way of being in and responding to the world and its influences with thoughtful consideration and a desire to learn and grow from each experience.
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