Art

What is it really?

What is Art, Really?

So, what do you think? Are the painted graffiti letters in the photo above, considered art? How about the skyscrapers in the background? The sky? The photo itself? None of it, or all of it?

What is art? This is a hard question, almost impossible. There is no definitive right or wrong. In crafting my own best answer I was continually left thinking about one more angle, one more layer, that I had not yet considered or included.

Here is my best take on the question: What is art?

Most Familiar

I am most familiar with the phrase — the art and science of things. The art and science of teaching, sales, healthy eating, leadership, and on and on.

In these scenarios, science is a collection of research-based best practices. The art in the art and science of things is based on feelings and personal touches that make the best practices effective for different people with different circumstances. This exemplifies art through action and thought. There has to be a healthy balance of art and science for success in these endeavors.

I think other artforms often include some technical skill but sometimes talent and creativity take over as an artist develops their own techniques.

Favorite Forms

There are a lot of forms of art that fall under a huge umbrella, including music, dance, writing, and others. I am focusing on visual art but, some of my thoughts are transferrable to other forms as well.

Visual art can take many formats. Common formats and mediums stand out to me for a variety of reasons, but I also really like it when an artist creates using unusual things or uses common things in unusual ways.

I am most drawn to photography, especially nature photos. I have to say, Mother Nature is my favorite artist. The sky is my favorite canvas.

Heart

An artist that recently captured my heart is Heather Thompson. I think it is her use of color, the illusion of flowing movement, and the look in the eye of the Blue Dragon that captivated me. Heather’s heart is in the picture and in the poem.

Mind

After several years, the creator and artist Caine Monroy still comes to mind when I think of creativity, passion, pride, and making extraordinary things using ordinary materials in unusual ways.

This short film highlighting Caine’s creative process and the community creating art to support him is touching and memorable. Caine’s mind becomes visible through his art. (Don’t have time to watch, Caine created an elaborate cardboard arcade.)

Community

Murals make my day. Murals generally hold meaning and a powerful message for the entire community. Working together on a community art project is a very fulfilling experience.

The mural below was painted years ago by my middle-schoolers and a visiting artist. The students wanted to portray a message of hope and peace. They wanted to show the neighborhood that they cared about the community and encourage them to care too. The project included a garden as well. Gardens can also be art.

Final Thoughts

Art speaks to different people at different times for different reasons. The artist’s feelings overflow to the viewer. Viewers bring their own experiences and preferences that also inspire even more feelings. Art speaks through feelings.

Seeing the author at work or hearing the story behind a piece elevates the volume of a piece for me. I often feel awe in the artist’s talent and in the feelings the artist experiences as they create.

Art comes from the heart and speaks to the heart.

What art speaks to you? Why?

Thanks for reading. I hope everyone finds an abundance of art that fills their hearts with awe!

Thanks to Will Hull for his layered take on this prompt (and the tag) and to Squeeze the Avocado for the original prompt. Hard questions are good questions.