Perspective

The perspective of Art and Fear is that of its authors, two professional artists, David Bayles and Ted Orland. As veteran artists, they have collected advice into this short book in order to help the young artist avoid the various pitfalls that confront her in developing from a young artist to a professional. Their primary interest then is in helping the young artist, the one who wishes to pursue art for its own sake, for the truth, beauty and nobility in it. They emphasize above all that the artist seeks something transcendent and must do what she can to achieve it.

They also emphasize, as an important value, the idea of individual responsibility and choice. The individual artist is not alone, but she has no one to fall back on but herself. She must become a person of integrity, who is not fully reliant on the reactions and...