Ben Shahn

Ben Shahn gives a lecture at Skowhegan talking about his painting practice. Shahn tells the participants that artists are people who make images, and that the artist’s point of view is one of foresight. Shahn says that the artist’s job is to make something that has never been seen in this world before. He then states that artists must differentiate between two images: what we call primary images, which are seen as fresh and personal, and secondary images, which deal with language and science. Shahn ends his lecture by saying that artists must always strive to make symbols that realize and communicate new meaning because this can lead to the importance of enriching the average individual’s experience of life.