The well-known artist Georges Braque wrote in his Cabiers (notebooks)that “one must not think up a picture.” His point is valid; a painting is often a long process that should not be forced or created by formulas to order. However, each day an artist must indeed “think up” of possibilities to the composition problems. Thinking is an essential part of the solutions to the problems or any other problems. When confronted by a problem in any aspect of life, the usual first step is to think about it. Thinking is applicable also to art and visual problems. It is involved in all aspects of the creative process. Every step in creating an artwork involves choices, and the selections are determined by thinking. Chance or accident is also an element in art. The need to think and decide whether the spontaneously created result is worthwhile or acceptable. A good work of art is the equation of the ‘tangible elements’ (ie. formal analysis, medium understanding and technical process) and the ‘intangible elements’ (ie. personal experience, knowledge, and understanding through research and experimentation). More importantly I believe it is essential for an artist to understand how these elements work together, and to find the right equation between the elements and the artist, since it is a useful methodology for organising visual information and creating the artist’s visual language.
