What is art ?

Traveler

Traveler

Senior Member
Location
San Diego County
Who can define exactly what art is ?

It seems to me that the 1st step in defining art is to ask a 7 year-old, "What is it?" If the 7 year old can not identify what he/she is looking at, then it is NOT art.

IMO one heck of a lot of so-called art, is nothing more than a con job supported by so-called "art critics" who are also conning us and making a good living in the process.
 

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Everything is beautiful, in its own way. Art to one could be graffiti to another. One persons trash could be another persons treasure. I can't imagine someone liking Lutefisk but there are those that do. I guess my point is, art is not black and white, it's a whole lot of gray. What I consider art, you may not and vice-versa. Bottom line, it is what it is. Did I clear that up for you :)?
 
Macfan said:
Everything is beautiful, in its own way. Art to one could be graffiti to another. One persons trash could be another persons treasure. I can't imagine someone liking Lutefisk but there are those that do. I guess my point is, art is not black and white, it's a whole lot of gray. What I consider art, you may not and vice-versa. Bottom line, it is what it is. Did I clear that up for you :)?
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With all due respect, no. There is good art, and bad art and trash that masquerades as art. Example" Rembrandt's work is exquisite. If I tried to copy his style, it would be "bad art". Then there is stuff that a primate paints. If the primate paintings were hung in the Louvre, and they were labeled as newly discovered Picasso's, I think I can guarantee that people would line up to see them.
 
Traveler said:
With all due respect, no. There is good art, and bad art and trash that masquerades as art. Example" Rembrandt's work is exquisite. If I tried to copy his style, it would be "bad art". Then there is stuff that a primate paints. If the primate paintings were hung in the Louvre, and they were labeled as newly discovered Picasso's, I think I can guarantee that people would line up to see them.
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I stand corrected, Traveler. You had the definition all along. Thank you for sharing.
 
jujube said:
There's the on-going argument whether graffiti is art or vandalism.

My opinion: Did the artist have permission to paint the wall/boxcar/building/fence/etc? Yes....it's art. No....it's vandalism.
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Well, there is spray paint on walls, but that is not what I'm talking about.
 
I was touring a large "Art" museum. I came across this long gash in the plaster wall, and all this crumpled plaster was on the floor. Somebody could fall on that. I looked around and found a closet with a broom and dustpan. I was about to sweep it up, when I saw that it was "art". There was a placard with the title, name of the 'sculptor', etc. Since it was in the museum, it must have been worth money, and I was close to sweeping a "masterpiece" away. Supposedly the long gash in the wall and the crumpled plaster symbolizes a human life. I think it was at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
 
Years ago, a friend wrote a satire which was supposed to be a pretentious art critic reviewing an art show featuring 17 completely blank canvases. He discussed the controversy over whether the works of art had been hung in chronological order, and whether the canvases were attached to the frames with staples or tacks.

This was a joke, but in the years since, I have encountered many "art shows" that weren't too far removed from this.
 
Sunny said:
Years ago, a friend wrote a satire which was supposed to be a pretentious art critic reviewing an art show featuring 17 completely blank canvases. He discussed the controversy over whether the works of art had been hung in chronological order, and whether the canvases were attached to the frames with staples or tacks.

This was a joke, but in the years since, I have encountered many "art shows" that weren't too far removed from this.
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Unfortunately, it is a sign of the times. Whether it is a painting or popular music, our society has descended into a cesspit.
 
If I draw stick figures of a father, mother and 3 children as representing my family & I call it art. It's art. What anyone else thinks about my art is irrelevant. I can't imagine living in a world where we would be dictated to about our preferences.
 
I don't think anyone wants to dictate about personal preferences. If you want to draw stick figures and call it art, that's your business. However, when a so called "artist" throws gobs of paint on a canvas, and "art critics" proclaim such activity to be "masterful work with great depth of feeling and insight", then I say we are being conned by the artist AND the art critics.
 
Traveler said:
I don't think anyone wants to dictate about personal preferences. If you want to draw stick figures and call it art, that's your business. However, when a so called "artist" throws gobs of paint on a canvas, and "art critics" proclaim such activity to be "masterful work with great depth of feeling and insight", then I say we are being conned by the artist AND the art critics.
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There is no obligation for you to believe an art critic nor do you have to look at or purchase what critics decide is masterful work. What you describe and don't like, aren't you are placing yourself as a critic subject to agreement or disagreement?
 
Knight said:
There is no obligation for you to believe an art critic nor do you have to look at or purchase what critics decide is masterful work. What you describe and don't like, aren't you are placing yourself as a critic subject to agreement or disagreement?
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No, I don't think so. All I'm doing is saying the "Emperor has no clothes".
 
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