The purpose of art is to get people feeling things. Art is a language of the heart which then communicates itself to thought. The purpose of the artist is to select things from the wondrous chaos of life and draw our attention to them while reveling in presenting these things from a particular perspective. As the editor for Modern Adventure I will be selecting works from a very personal set of criteria. These criteria represent a perspective I wish to emphasize here.
When we are emerging artists, it is very sexy to approach our work from the dark brooding perspective of someone trying to gain recognition. We tend to worship other previous emerging artists who express the anger and frustration we feel. I remember a sort of richness and passion in those times. I remember wearing black clothing and sitting around in coffee houses raging about the world's injustices into the small hours of the morning. However, with real experience of the pain and struggle that goes on in the world, the rage and the pretention really didn't do much for me to address these.
For Modern Adventure I want works that lift the pain a little and replace it with joy and wonder. Within people's imaginations I want the realm of possibility to open up thus affirming the value of life. Pessimism and cynicism, though valid, are not habits of mind that create an ongoing commitment to life or a sense of fulfillment. This is not to say that I am looking for works of shallow optimism, but rather works of compassion that show an understanding of the inestimable value of beauty and humour. Great art is a form of unconditional love. All characters, all subjects, must be treated with equal care and respect for all experience and all expression is valid, just some works better for us than others.
My literary genre preferences are fairytales, fables, fantasy, magic realism, science fiction, mystery, adventure, erotica, slice of life and lyric works. As far as fine art and photography goes my tastes are even more catholic. If what I have written strikes a chord with you, then please send me something. I am looking for quality work and we are interested in paying contributors in order to help ensure quality. I am always open to new and untried creators. I look forward to receiving your contribution via e-mail.
Katherine
muse@glasswings.com.au