Sunday, January 24, 2010

What is Art?

In class so far we have watched music videos, seen powerpoint slides of artworks done by Andy Warhol, Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, and many other artists, and had discussions on topics such as: what is art, what makes something art, and how time plays a role in artwork.



I found the music video "Sugar Water" by Cibalto very confusing and wasn't able to fully make sense of it. However, after we divided into groups and illustrated our thoughts on the music video to the class, I understood the message a little clearer. I liked my partner's idea that sugar dissolves in water which means events in time can be fused together. For example, when one girl driving the car ran into the girl on the motorcycle and "killed" her. Also, after seeing my other classmates illustrations, I realized there is no right or wrong way to view or create art. Everyone has their own interpertation of what art is.



As a class we dicussed the reading given to us, "What is Art?" by Bart Rosier. I liked Sir Ernst Gombrich view about what is art. Gombrich stated that the terminology of art changes over time. If the defintion or terms about Art is changing all the time, who is to say which of the defintion or terms is right or wrong? Therefore, as mentioned in the beginning of the reading, there is no real defintion of Art. People also use Art in many different ways such as: a form of experession, visual communication, self-satisfaction, and therapy. People can use Art how they want to just like they can interpert Art how they want to; it's their decision.



I had a small interesting discussion with somebody who is an Art major the other day. He said for Art you always have to keep an open mind. Also he said there is a time where everything will just come together and in Art there is nothing "to get", once you figure that out everything opens up.



Questions: Can one survive without time? (if one follows no patterns or any types of sequences



and do whatever they wanted when they wanted)



Why do we sometimes not use time to our advantage? ( We can be lazy and get bored easily but



shouldn't be because we don't know how much time we have left)



I like to know more about Andy Warhol and other people view his artwork.
I searched on Google Scholar and found some interesting quotes:
"But no mass public has ever felt at ease with Warhol's work. Surely, people feel, there must be something empty about a man who expresses no strong leanings, who greets everything with the same "uh,gee, great."

"Those whose parents accused them of being out of their tree, who had unfulfilled
desires and undesirable ambitions, and who felt guilty about it all, therefore gravitated
to Warhol. He offered them absolution, the gaze of the blank mirror that refuses all
judgment."