Visual Arts as Solitary

Where do our notions of visual art as a solitary activity come from? What are the benefits and limitations of engaging in collaborative works of art?

Our notions of visual art as a solitary activity come perhaps from our historical view of the artist. We see artists such as Monet, Picasso and Escher as solitary people, individuals creating individualistic work that is all their own. Therefore as with all new ideas it is hard to expand our view to include groups and collectives. While collective art may be limited in that it can be plagued by creative differences, restraints due to over influence of one another and lack of understanding it has many benefits as well. Benefits of collaborative work come in many ways from these limitations in that the many creative minds that might stifle one another will also feed each other. That they can share different perspectives and build on one another to create dynamic works that will represent many of the group and therefore reach a wider audience.