What Is Art

WHA T I S ART ? Ima gi ne going i nto a r eal ly l ar ge m useu m, l ike man y o f t he mu seum s in Ameri ca . T hey were not mean t to be a rt . W hat is a rt ? If a t oil et ca n b e ar t, if a pr ese rv ed o x cou ld be a rt . C an any th ing b e ar t? An ob jec t mu st b e di ffering fr om th e s ame kin d t ha t o bje ct i t b elongs to . If i ts mu si c i t su ppo se t o h av e a tune, i f it’ s a p ain ting i t’s s up pose to loo k l ike so met hing, if it’ s a novel i t s hould hav e a pl ot. Yet it’ s not a good to st ar t ta lking abou t w hat is a rt by st ar t d is cus sing w hat is a rt . Y et t hat’s t he topi c s o I w il l con tin ue th en . An ol d co ncep tion o f a rt is t hat i t w as su ppo sed t o b e be aut ifu l o r r epr esent so met hing . W hat ha ppened ? Ar e th er e nece ss ary an d s uf fic ient c ondit ions for be ing ar t? Art mig ht b e a fa mi ly resem bla nce c once pt, t hat i s, l ots o f dif fer ent ar t p iece s r es em ble eac h other, b ut t he re i s no under ly ing t hr ead th at conne cts t he m a ll . Wh at ma kes an ar tis ti c p roce ss a rti st ic ? F ir st t ime th at th e q ue stion of w hat ar t i s ca me u p w as i n t he 19 th c entur y in a pa mp hlet by Leo T ol sto y. I doub t th at one c an de fine ar t. I t hin k t ha t a rt is w hatever is m ade i n an ar tis ti c p roce ss a nd c ons umed a s a rt . Y ou m ay th ink th is i s th at th is i s cir cul ar. Y et m os t p iece s o f a rt in mu seum s w er e n ot i ntended t o b e ar t. I th ink th at to be a n a rt ob ject, tha t objec t m us t d if fer i nter esti ngly fr om other s of it s kind . I t hi nk t ha t t he des ir e to make so met hing sp eci al is c har ac teri sti c o f th e ar tis ti c p roce ss . Is th er e a st and ar d dif ference be tween h ig h ar t an d scr ap ? A l ot o f peop le t hink a rt is on ly the s tuf f hanging in t he mu seum s. Hi st ori cal ly, mu ch a rt was ma de f or po pul ar en tert ainment li ke t he si dew alk cha lk pa inting . Doe s t hi s mean we s houl d ex pect popu la r c ul tur e li ke Sein feld t o b e th e on ly th ing t o s ur viv e t he pa ssa ge of ti me? I t hin k w e need to con si der w hy we w ou ld want a s tep-b y-s te p way of dec iding w hat is a rt . Wha t is t he con nection be tween be auty an d a rt ? I th ink th at al l a rt is be aut y a lt houg h i t m ay not al l b e pr etty . B eau ty i nvolv es w het her you l ike it or n ot. Muc h moder n a rt is enga ging a lt hough it is n't pr etty for an exam pl e t he dia mond s ku ll . Wha t doe s a rt do f or u s? I t hin k t he pr ima ril y i t is f or u s t o enj oy li ke T V. Ca n ju st an yth ing b e ar t? I t is h ard t o co nvin ce peo pl e t ha t s omet hi ng is ar t. Th er e i s al so s ta tus i nvolv ed i n a rt, li ke B ac h's co mmi ss ioned piece s. A lot o f a rt is in ac ces si ble b ec aus e i t r equ ir es b ackg round kn owledge, bu t ma ny peo pl e t hi nk t ha t i t s houl d b e im media te ly enga ging. Jo hn poin ts out th at so me a rt is a imed at a s mal l gr oup of vie wer s. I th ink th at it is di ffic ul t to ap pr ecia te any ar t, e ven g rea t a rt . H e s ay s th at we need to learn ho w t o a pp recia te art, fr om p ain tings a nd s cul ptur e to tel evis ion a nd punk roc k. Wha t is a rt ? Is it ju st so met hing th at mu st be v ery s ovi stiga ted i n or der

ma ke othe rs t hin k t ha t i s a ma ste r p iece on ly peop le wi th a P hD o f ar t woul d kn ow? Or is i t s ome th ing r eal ly radi cal l ike t he Imp loded V ol ume . Wha t is a rt ? I think ar t m ay be w hat i t i s. T her e ar e n o s ta ndar d for ar t . Ar t i s si mp ly ar t. Any th ing c an b e ar t e ven a c orp se c an be a rt . I t a ll ju st ma tter ho w you see it . T he sa me goes for you e very th ing.