Coincidence in creating art

Some people wonder whether some features in a work are there by coincidence or on purpose, which could leave people thinking that the artwork is better than intended by pure luck. I can imagine that, but I have to explain how some artists, maybe all, but at least me work. Some of my work have a lot of intended features, but are not always seen. How does that work?

An idea doesn't come as a complete idea. Most ideas constitute of a lot of smaller ideas and those smaller ideas come and go. Eventually you stick with the ideas that fit the theme. So the whole process isn't about suddenly having this great idea with perfect features, but more about throwing away most ideas and leaving a small minority that work well. For the viewer it results in an artwork of which people could think: 'Huh? I can't believe the artist thought to combine all these small elements'. Well they are right. A lot of times I start a sculpture with a certain direction and change something along the way and decide after adding if that feature makes sense. If it does, I keep it otherwise not.

So for the viewer it looks like a too clever to believe process where it is actually a process of gathering all kinds of stuff, a mindless part of the process, and then throwing away a lot of things and leaving the perfect minority of smaller ideas.

Example: Mr. Clean the skeleton sculpture, started as an idea to show the problem of food marketing, but not by using the example of the tobacco industry. The cigarette lighters were just practical to make the figure, but I kept it because I saw all the links with this industry. I also considered other parts, like plastic pens or other plastic stuff, but those didn't make sense within this theme.
Eventually you adjust the sculpture a bit to show the parrallel with the tobacco industry a bit better.. and there you are!

....will keep throwing away ideas in 2013 to show you the combination of my best ideas! Have a great and healthy 2013!