One of the best things about art is how you can find it basically anywhere with a little bit of effort. During this week’s activity we were tasked with finding it and putting a frame around what we considered art. For this we choose a tree! Here the tree is a light gray color with some brown vines and green leaves growing out of them. In our art there are some curved lines that run up the tree made of vines. It represents life isn’t always linear and is never one straight path. It will always diverge or turn in unexpected ways. It’s a little hard to see with the lighting in this photo but coming out of those small branches have some green leaves growing out of them. Further showing that within those twists and turns of life some nice things grow out of them.
Personally, I think the art was already there before we put the frame on it. Having the rectangle there only helps to people to focus and appreciate the art more. With or without the rectangle the content of the art I described earlier is still the same. The rectangle only helps to bring attention to it. Same way a painting is still art with or without the frame or if you single out a piece of a mural. The tree will always be there which means the art is always there even if the rectangle is gone.
I think art resides in the person looking at it. Say there’s graffiti on a subway underpass or just on a wall. Depending on who looks at it, it is art. A police officer or someone walking by may think it isn’t art and shouldn’t be considered so. However a different person may stumble across and stare in awe of how beautiful it looks. To the second person, that is art. You’ll know if something is art if you can sit there and appreciate it.
Obviously, since art is decided by the beholder, anything can be art even the non-physical stuff. For example, watching an extremely talented volleyball or basketball player to me is art. I say this because sometimes I can’t help but stare at the beautiful plays and elegant movements. Same way dancing is an art. There’s even a whole section called the performing arts. You can even say there’s art in how a professional chess player can manipulate the other players. Art comes in so many different shapes and forms, it shouldn’t be limited to just objects.
By that logic, art resides in the experience of the viewer. It’s what you, the viewer, makes of it. To one person, Kobe could be an inspiring artist or basketball player, while someone else who did not grow up watching basketball or isn’t into the sport wouldn’t think much of it. It’s the same reason why I don’t have that emotion or same experience looking at a piece of abstract art or painting compared to Professor Zucman. When writing this blog I can’t help but remember all those times I spent watching my favorite professional volleyball player and the experience I had watching him. It’s something someone else may probably not be able to experience!
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