What is a visionary, and does it apply to a painter or sculptor?

A visionary is one who believes in a perfect society.  His ideas suggest, proposes and advocates a utopian way of life.

But does the word limit itself to personalities such as Elon Musk who dreams of life outside Earth? Or Dr. Martin Luther King who lived and died for social equality? Or Leonardo Da Vinci’s mechanical drawings that were centuries ahead of his time? Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Henry Ford and many more are but some of the people we know as “visionaries”.

Whether the vision seems real or impossible to achieve, there is one thing that brings it to reality, and that is creativity.

In a sense, any person, in any walk of life can be a visionary.  Such as a creative finance officer whose vision is to empower the poor through a radical finance plan.  Or cars that run on water. Or an urban plan to take away congestion in the city. Vision and Creativity are inseparable.

Being a visionary also demands focus and commitment to act and get his idea across an audience.

Being a visionary also demands focus and commitment to act and get his idea across an audience.

Although, when we say visionary, what usually comes to mind is something futuristic.  But what if an artist’s vision of an ideal life was something from 50 years ago?

On a hectic day like today, an artist paints a bucolic scene.  Slowly appearing before our eyes, we see a rice field in the background. On the right, a large mango tree. And under its shade, a mother, with child in hand, looking over the slow cooking sinigang in a red clay palayok.

Just fore-aft the tree, a young boy sits atop his carabao looking over eight farmers tending the rice field.  A man with a guitar strums and sings tunes to keep everyone’s spirits high in spite of their back-breaking task.

The skies are bright blue, the clouds are thick.  It is a bright morning sun shining down upon this perfect country life story.

Subconsciously, or not, this artist attempts to go beyond the confines of color and canvas by jump-starting our senses of sight, sound, and touch. The painting suggests the scent of the field.  The cool breeze on your skin. The faint strumming and singing. The feel of the earth beneath your feet.

It isn’t new age, abstract, nor modern by any definition.

But can it be a visionary painting?

Scholars may say no, simply because of the subject and style.

Nonetheless, it is the artist’s vision of a perfect world.

He feels it in his soul. It is what’s missing in his life.  He lives and breathes this idea. It is his reason to wake up every day. It is why he will lose sleep just to see this painting come true.

He feels that it is good enough for himself and therefore good enough to show anyone.  And hope that it will stir some reaction to whoever cares to stop and look at it.

Most creative individuals will tell you that a work of art is never just as you see it.  Oscar Wilde said that “No great artist ever sees things as they really are.  If he did, he would cease to be an artist”. 

The Amorsolo-like painting is not only the artist’s personal vision of a perfect life.  In its very essence, it is a protest against urbanization.  Trees and mountain tops are cut down.  Rice fields give way to subdivisions and malls. And at what cost to the future generation?

The painting is serene. But if you look closely, at the brushstrokes, there is anger.  His choice of the palette knife in some areas of the painting seems an even better weapon to express angst.  There is boldness. And also fear for his children.

And there is also, surrender and faith, that the Universe may show us a way back to this world long buried under concrete, steel and glass.

Of the thousands of artworks we have curated, bought and sold.

Each and every piece of art, carries the artists’ thoughts, struggles, triumphs, happiness, and pain.

The purpose of most art is to primarily bring us beauty for beauty’s sake.  To enrich our home and family life. To be surrounded by beauty and color is one of life’s greatest privileges.  And underneath this beauty, an artwork always teases and invites us to unravel hidden gems of a message.

After long years of dreaming of art, and perfecting his craft and skill, the artist’s vision slowly unfolds. And the artist is now committed to expression.

He is now on a mission to impress his dream upon our lives.

Art, great art, visionary art is an invitation, an open dialogue to dig deep into ourselves, and find our own vision of a near perfect way of life.