Vimeo is streaming a six minute short documentary about actor Jim Carrey's art. Carrey revealed it was during a bleak, depressing winter when he realized he needed color in his life and started to paint.
Colors relate to emotions, but when they are put together, colors literally paint a picture, which tells a story. Artists create art to express a message. Their motivations may be different, but they do it to inspire, relate or heal themselves.
Since 2011, he has created sculptures, drawings and paintings.
The mini-doc exhibits his vibrant paintings as he talks about how his art shows what he loves through the colors he uses, his inner life through the darkness in them and what he wants from the brightness of yellows and reds.
Carrey's paintings include his depiction of Jesus (top left) and a heart as a meteor entering the atmosphere (top right).
“They [artists] make models of their inner life. They make something physically come into being that is inspired by their emotions or their needs or what they feel the audience needs,” said Carrey.
The short film is interesting because the actor talks about his life and personal motivations for creating art. He said, as an artist, “You’re servicing your subconscious, and at the same time you’re doing something that someone is going to relate to hopefully.”
Art is a powerful medium for expression and human connection. Art can tell great stories and visualize the indescribable emotions of a human heart and soul. As Carrey said, there is a sense of freedom to art and immediacy to live in the moment. “Free from the future, free from the past, free from regret, free from worry," said Carrey.
My response to Jim Carrey’s short documentary about his art is simple: thank you.
As a celebrity, his popularity helps to reiterate the importance and beauty of art for healing, relating and inspiring. Carrey boldly shows his vulnerability through his colored art, and the video makes it OK for people to be expressive. It is important to have a hobby where you can express yourself.
“The bottom line with all of this, whether it’s performance or it’s art or it’s sculpture is love. We want to show ourselves and have that be accepted,” said Carrey.
As the title suggests, it is important to have color in your life.
People cannot live in a black and white world, but we can surround ourselves with color and other forms of art like music, dance and theater.
Art is universal with millions of variations, but it does have one thing in common... Jim Carrey said, “The most important thing about art is to bring people into presence. ...All of it is a portal into the present, into absolute quiet, gentle stillness."
