Well today after much resistance, my definition of art was altered. The instructor had us examine a number of surreal and conceptual artists and their work. A number of artists didn't do much work themselves so much as take a ready-made object, put it on a pedestal, say "it's art" and take the credit for it. This idea has always enraged me as it doesn't take any skill to take a random object and give it a random name. I already have had issues with abstract art...but then to take something you yourself didn't even make or change in any way -- well it took me to the limits of my capacity of understanding how people could find that innovative.
I mentioned to the teacher that you can measure the skill of say a chef or an architect. At least a majority of people would agree that if a cook poisons his patrons or an architect's building collapses...he wasn't good. So why are the visual arts so damn forgiving? When comparing conceptual art to culinary art...it would be like a chef putting a piece of uncooked pasta in front of someone and saying "what? you don't know good food when you see it?!". However as I mentioned earlier, to compare the various art forms is a mistake.
Erin Cunningham mentioned that it's not necessarily the crafted object is the art...but the idea behind it. but...but...
But NOTHING! She's absolutely right. I say I like the Classics but in my Art History class we've discussed the meaning or ideas behind work from the Renaissance. During this period, the church dominated as the patron and what they wanted from the "masterpieces" like Madonna of the Rocks, The Last Judgement, the David(s), The Passions, was to inspire people to have faith. Breaking the first of the 10 Commandments, the church had these graven images made to invoke fear and awe into the common people and to illustrate history. TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK!
Confined by limited resources, many of the artists at the time couldn't afford to express themselves as most artists were trained to imitate or emulate their predecessors but the intent to provoke thought has always been there. Now artists are at liberty to explore even the most complex and controversial forms of thought. Art ecompasses the thoughts of memory, imagination, illustration, introspection etc.
Today was a break through.
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