Jocelyn McLaughlin What is art: a personal perspective

Like most things in life the notation of art varies depending on who you ask. Some people might say that art is beautiful and is needed. Others could say that art is one of the most powerful things that man has created and has been the driving force behind many historical events. Personally I see art everywhere besides the obvious; pictures, paintings, music, and dance. If we all look close enough you can find art in the way people speak, the way they dress, and the decorations on buildings. Art is the shift from purely functional things to embellished and elaborate designs. Many times objects that were once designed for one specific purpose began to show; status, origin, and viewpoints. Throughout history you can see the changes in the way people viewed and created art. In fact art pre dates any written language, the oldest known are cave paintings, many archeologist believe that it was a way of communication or held some type spiritual meaning (Cave Paintings). This recurring theme of art as a way of communication or a spiritual object can easily be found in other art forms such as; songs sung by slaves, religious figurines and many reliefs form past societies. Art is an expression; it takes human emotion and imagination and forms something moving. When speaking about art I also consider its function in everyday life. In class discussions we talked about form following function meaning that depending on its intended use the style might be changed. Leo Tolstoy once wrote Art is not a pleasure, a solace, or an amusement; art is a great matter. Yes art can be nice to look at b ut that is never really the solo purpose behind a work of art. There is always an overarching reason that sometimes isnt clear at the moment. For example the Arch of Constantine was erected

Jocelyn McLaughlin What is art: a personal perspective

by the last great emperor of Rome. He created this large arch that incorporated both original works and made reference to past emperors by using spolias. The reason for this monument was to show his power, relate him with the past good emperors, and relay information to citizens that couldnt read (Adams, Laurie Schneider). The artistic ability that it took to create this monument was great but the function that it held was far more important. Furthermore art should express some type of emotion or attitude weather you convey the same type of emotion that the artist intended might vary. If you think about many songs within the first few lines you can tell what type of mood is being set. If you look at Pinks American Music Awards performance of Try you can see the way that she mixes her singing with dancing. The style of dancing that she doing can be interoperated as a fight. Along with that and her song I can feel the struggle and pain. The work can be done to express the emotions of the artist or evoke an emotion form audience (Art and Emotion). This is something that is able to transcend generations and language barriers. Universal emotions such as sadness, happiness, anger, and love can be relatable and understood in many different cultures. One huge misconception that I think people have about art is that it is always beautiful, I know that people say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but does art always have to incorporate beauty? My opinion is in complete agreement with Nickitas Demos, when reacting to something tragic or trying to evoke strong emotion like horror it can be crude and ugly. But sometimes those horrid pieces can be some of the most moving and

Jocelyn McLaughlin What is art: a personal perspective

interesting thing to look at. If you look at any Frida Kahlo painting they are not traditionally pretty, the story that they tell though is one of inner turmoil and pain. I dont think such harsh emotions could be fully shown if she painted something that people would say is beautiful at first glance. It has a function, shows emotions and isnt always pretty, that is what art is to me. The shift of art throughout history can easily be seen and understood from its beginning roots in the dark depths of caves to its portray of history. But the matter of what you choose to include as art and how art is defined is a personal matter that in its self is the beauty behind the art work.

Jocelyn McLaughlin What is art: a personal perspective

Bibliography

Adams, Laurie. Art across Time. Boston: McGraw Hill College, 1999. Print. "Art and Emotion." Free Online Arts Games. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2013. "Cave Painting." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2013. Demos, Nickitas. "Greek & Composing." : Art Isn't Always Beautiful. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2013. Tolstoy, Leo. What Is Art? New York: Bobbs-Merrill, Liberal Arts, 1960. Print.