Perhaps a new artist/thesis statement...?

When I make art, I don't concern myself with questions of modernity. I am more concerned with questions of humanity. I believe art can be a beautiful, compelling tool to convey those questions. I also believe in the saying, "a picture can say a thousand words." An important principle I learned while working as a designer is that the more simply you can convey a message, the more powerful the impact and likelihood that it will reach it's intended audience. This works whether selling a product or an idea. The latter point is where art and design collide. Art is a business of selling ideas. Forget about the actually selling of the canvas or whatever material, just in viewing the piece, the viewer either buys into the idea or not. The stronger the piece, the clearer the message, the more relatable to the current culture, the more likely the viewer will buy -- appreciate -- the idea.
Typically, art is seen as a high cultured product, available to and only understood by a wealthy and or intellectual crowd. Design, however, is for everyone. The more it can reach, the better. But I have noticed that in the last few years that distinction doesn't quite hold up anymore. The lines of art and design have been blurring for quite a while. An early instance was with minimalism and it's object-like simplicity. But the more recent blurs come from the street art culture gaining in popularity. Within its name, Street Art classifies any art done in the streets but but it can be broken down into subcategories based on different methodologies. One of the rules of thought behind art done in the streets was that art should be for everyone to view and understand. It could be viewed as a way of beautifying a neighborhood and bringing the community together. Another rule of thought, one that could be categorized as subvertising (subversive advertising), was in reaction to the overwhelming level of branding and corporate advertising seen on billboards and posters throughout mostly urban environments. The subversive artists recognized the impact of semiotics involved in advertising and therefore began to use the same design language to promote there own "products." Here lies another divergence, where some chose the path to comment directly on the corporatization of America (and other western cultures), or broader political statements beyond the problems of the economy, others chose to focus in on human connections and the reality of everyday life. And then there are those who just want to make a quick laugh or smile with an odd twist on an image or its unexpected placement.
But the real irony of it all is that in their increased acceptance and popularity, these artists that were creating in the street are now creating for the gallery and even selling actual products in the form of t-shirts and toys. This doesn't necessarily mean they are selling out. But it does mean there has been a big change in the art world. There are still those artists that will sell a piece at auction for thousands to millions of dollars, but there is also a growing number of artists selling affordable prints, clothing, and other products keeping true to the thought of art also being for the underprivileged, for the uneducated, for everyone.

So the point and relevance to me and my work, well, I see myself also on that fence between art and design but rather than choosing sides, I'm embracing both. As I mentioned before, I'm interested in humanity, human experiences, and promoting a sense of hope amidst the struggle that life often is. I'm interested in love, and a person's right to love. I'm interested in making the most of life while you can and appreciating life's beautiful quirks while not getting too hung up on its pitfalls. I'm interesting in more laughter than tears. I'm interested in getting people to rethink their old patterns and make more positive changes to their surroundings. And I hope to promote all these ideas within my own artistic campaign.