I’m not the only person out there that watches the American Idol audition shows and then tunes out when the competition gets serious. There is something fascinating about people that are clearly hearing something different inside their heads than they are projecting to the rest of us  – and it’s obviously  genetic because their mothers invariably think they sound good too.

There’s a visual equivalent to this phenomenon and to simply call it bad art is a misnomer – there is all kinds of creative projects out there that even the artist would say belongs in the trash bin, that’s just part of the creative process.  It’s when the artist declares that the piece has achieved all his or her artistic goals (possibly the masterpiece of a lifetime) and the rest of us are left without words that things start to get interesting. Art analysis has traditionally had strict rules regarding composition, technique, influences and all that sort of thing that have kept a relatively tight lock on this genre – it doesn’t get wall space in most museums or galleries and a lack of sales makes quick work of any enterprising artist that heads out on their own.  But with the web, it’s going digital, if not viral.

I have a certain fondness for this category although not sufficient to hang on my walls; the best candidates are  never boring and can leave you in that slightly gasping state for days or even months.  If you’re feeling brave and have safely put down your soda or coffee cup check out these ‘soul portraits‘.  And if you know of anything that would rival them, please let me know.