The peoples Art?

After learning about the studies performed by Komar and Melamid along with reading Art without Borders, I was really pushed to consider what art really is. Although the study was done partially as a joke, it says a lot about art. There is no such thing as a universal concept of art. Art itself is fluid, everchanging, impacted by individual people as well as the world and culture that surrounds us. If there is a universal art, then, to me, that universal drawing, painting or statue is not art. What I believe makes art... art is that it's unique, personal, and can have an impact on the individual as well as the whole. Because of this, no one piece of art can be "the peoples choice" because it simply cannot appeal to all aspects of life and portray what everyone seeks in art.

Like the title of our book states, art has no borders. It has no limits, no rules, no universal concepts dictating it. Art that is not free for the artist to choose what he or she wants to do, is not art. Art is as much about the artist's expression as it is the viewers reaction.

Overall, I believe that one piece of art cannot be universally liked, due to the personal aspect that draws us towards it. Because of this, almost anything can be art. As said in class, art was defined as anything that was done "well". While this helps broaden the horizon and include much of what people tend to describe as art, I believe there is plenty to be said about things that are not done well. Sometimes the lack of "artistic ability" and the ability to do things well can end up being the most beautiful pieces of artwork. To explain this I found a story:

A father of a small girl loses his only child. The last drawing that she drew for him was a primitive doodle, shown below, saying "Daddy, I love you" with what looks like a pseudo stick figure next to the phrase. Now clearly this drawing is not what most would consider an amazing feat in art. You won't see this piece in an elaborate art museum selling for tens of thousands of dollars, But to the father of this artists work, this may very well be the most beautiful piece of art he has ever seen. So much so that he incorporated it into his own body, and had it tattooed on his forearm. This crude drawing speaks so many volumes about love, family, suffering and resolution regardless of its design. This is why anything can be art, and what this portrays grasps the true essence of art.



Agree? Disagree? Comment :)