Jillian Ramirez
COM 232 Visual Literacy
Tom Hammond
MWF 10 – 11:10 A.M.
January 26, 2010
What is Art?
Have you ever seen a very bloody and gore movie? What about a young child’s scribbles with crayons? Or what about any of Pablo Picasso’s works? Is not Picasso one of the most world-renowned artists? It is hard to find someone who does not know of him. He is said to be one of the greatest artists of all times, nevertheless can a child’s scribbles or a very gory movie be considered art too? I believe art is in the eye of the beholder. A mother would think her child’s scribbles are art and hang them on the kitchen fridge. A director or a gore movie fanatic would think the movie is a work of art. If someone thinks it is art, it is art. I believe art does not have a concrete definition. There are so many ways to describe art that one definition could not adequate it all. Art is anything anyone wants it to be. Art uses skill and imagination to create aesthetic items, environment, or knowledge that can be shared with others.
I do believe art is universal. Thinking back to the prehistoric days, art has been around for centuries even if it was just drawings on the inside of a cave. Don’t museums have these replicas in their halls? Why would they display the prehistoric writing if it were not art? Even thinking to the other side of the world, art is universal. The Chinese culture is the birthplace of martial arts, the art of protecting your self. Although the purpose of martial arts was mainly for survival and warfare, it co-exists with a variety of weapons that you need to become skilled at the art of using.
There is nothing that is not art. Everything and anything has the potential to be or become art. For example, a piece of paper is very plain but it can become origami like a paper crane. Even everyday items like a laptop are art to an industrial designer. The actual laptop design is their work of art. Art does not always have to be strictly appealing it can be functional too.
If I were defending a work as art, I would enlighten that person about my definition of art. It only takes one person to think something is art to be art. And if they still took an exception to my view, we would have to agree to disagree. For example, I think a pair of Jimmy Choo stiletto heels is an amazing work of art. But, to a male onlooker, they could just think they are another useless pair of over priced heels. Everyone has their own opinion; it does not make them wrong.
Art. There is so much I could say; too much. Art is the spice of life; with out it life would be boring. It is a wonderful form of expression and imagination. Look around and try to find something that is not art. I bet you’ll have a hard time trying to find something. Art has been around for thousands of years and will continue to grow and change for many more to come.
This is a very open idea of what art is. I take it to mean when you say that "there is nothing that is not art", you mean that any object can become a work of art in the hands of the artist. Here we get into the question of intention. Is the creator who takes the object and changes it into something unique intending to create something functional or something that others should observe and enjoy or learn from? Of course, great design could be considered art, but is it the mass produced shoe that is art or the original design?
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