We're all guilty of it to some degree. We post our work to dA with hopes of views, favs, and most importantly, comments from our peers. Don't deny it. We all hope for that. And while I will be the first to agree that dA is not the pinnacle of artistic merit (what is anyway?), we all post our work to be seen by as well as have our creative skills validated by our peers.

But how can such things be truly be validated? What guidelines are set forth to be judged against? True, technical skill is one. There is an enormous amount of technical skill here at dA as exemplified by numerous Daily Deviations given each 24 hours.

But why is there such a lack of explanation for such work? Isn't "art", after all, the expression of the artist who created such work? Why do we rarely see the artist's explanation of their work here at dA? Shouldn't those who can actually talk about their work be showcased as well?

I understand completely that "Untitled" is used as an invitation for others to draw their own conclusions about the work. I also encourage others to draw their own conclusions even though a work is given an actual name. And not all people view art to read the artist's intentions. But c'mon, don't just give me "Painted in Photoshop, 28+ hours". Why was it worth spending 28+ hours on it, why did you render it in Photoshop versus in traditional artistic materials, what are the elements supposed to represent, etc. Giving me *your* answers about a work is completely different than giving me *the* answers to a work.

And it's not just here where it is a problem. I believe society as a whole is hiding behind the "Untitled" label as to not offend anyone. Are we becoming afraid to even state our own interpretations on things as simple as a painting about nobles or still life? Or is it just laziness?

The artist statement is just as important as the technical skills needed to complete the work. If you can't talk about your own work, then who do you expect to talk about it instead? And if it's someone else, then no wonder this world is so friggin' messed up.