Of webs, fangs, and gravity: Reflections on artistic consumption

Abstract

Art inherently involves balancing consumption and creation. Artists continuously absorb and synthesize experiences, emotions, and ideas, yet such creative nourishment can risk becoming excessive, threatening coherence and meaning. This paper explores artistic consumption through three metaphorical analogies: the Spider, symbolizing controlled creativity and structural balance; the Vampire, representing restrained yet potentially contagious creative hunger; and the Black Hole, embodying unchecked ambition leading to destructive excess, yet paradoxically capable of initiating profound artistic transformations. These metaphors elucidate psychological, ethical, and compositional tensions artists face, emphasizing the critical necessity of self-awareness, ethical boundaries, and balance within creative practice.