Homage

If you embark on asking about the sources of inspiration in art you will receive just as many answers as there are artists. Life in its variety serves as material.

The inspiration the artist received is permanently given back to the spectator as a gift in any good work of art. Brecht's thought that art in its last instance leads to art of life (ars vitae) comes through. A piece of art can speak to the spectator and this is in fact possible thanks to a joint horizon of experiences common to all people and solidly anchored in everyday life. The work of art expands itself in the dialectics between represented world and subjective interpretation of the material through the artist: understanding of the world and artistic confession permeate each other therein inseparably. A work of art - at the same time worldly artifact and mental construction - comes thus to life: the artist inspired life to his work (inspirare). This insight is also supported by Goethe's thought that not actually the artist is the creator of art, but rather the entire humanity, as the artist is its spokesman, as it inspires the artist.

An artist's homage to another artist consequently becomes a homage to humankind, in spite of all subjectivity contained therein.

Stefan Schmid, Munich, Germany
Translation: Karin Ulrike Soika