Art is anything man made. I declared this with a bold certainty at the beginning of the year & will reiterate it now with even more confidence: Art is anything man made. This basic assertion still rings true to me but I understand much better the implications of that. I now know that controversial art can be as simple as a urinal with a signature, as rooted in tradition as the staff gods of Cook Island, or as grand as the Hagia Sophia. I stand by my previous statement that society imposes a stricter definition of art, limiting it to things that evoke or express emotion, commemorate events, or are aesthetically pleasing. However after experiencing APAH I no longer think it is society that imposes these higher standards but rather the individual people of that society.
Picasso’s Blue period is an example of art that expresses feeling. Picasso was inspired by the state of affairs he observed in Spain & the death by suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemos to create work in a monochromatic style. The Blue Period expresses the pain he felt. The choice of the color blue induces somber feelings in the viewer. He additionally chose doleful subjects such as poverty, instability, blindness, & prostitution. Picasso explained his shift to painting in blue by saying, ”I started painting in blue when I learned of Casagemas's death”. Picasso’s deep personal sorrow from the loss of his friend is evident to the viewer making the pieces extremely powerful. The works from his Blue Period express his melancholy & thus fall under the limited definition of art.
Society’s definition of art encompasses portraits because of their commemorative & aesthetic qualities. Portraits were commissioned by the wealthy in order to immortalize the subjects appearances. Portraits of men often showed them in military garb in order to preserve for posterity the man’s importance. Many portraits show great technical skill making them aesthetically pleasing. For example, the Mona Lisa, is a portrait of an unknown wife of a Renaissance merchant, yet she captivates audiences because of the skill in which Leonardo depicts her smile. Portraits also serve to counter the claim that art is merely a form of expression because portraits were traditionally created for economic not emotional reasons.
Art has been used to commemorate many important historical scenes. Most people wouldn’t call a textbook art but would classify a picture or poem dealing with the same event as art., Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb is considered art in part because it is a painting. Certain mediums evoke the sense of art to us more clearly than others because of past experiences. Additionally the painting is changing the history in a more direct way than a book would. The viewers are able to visualize the scene as it is portrayed on the canvas rather than through their own interpretation. We chose to consider historical representations art because they connect us to our past & help answer the very human question “how did we get to now?”.
Some define art by its aesthetic appeal but this is flawed. We consider the architecture of Gehry to be art because his designs are complex & cause the viewers to think. But how do you categorize a rundown building? Both the rundown structure & the Disney hall were designed yet most don’t consider the dilapidated building to be art. This comes down to people being impressed by the Disney Hall’s aesthetic & not a dilapidated building’s appearance.
Art is all around us-it is sculpture & poems & paintings-it is beautiful it is ugly, it makes us think & cry. Art history taught me to appreciate the art that has surrounded me all along.
Picasso’s Blue period is an example of art that expresses feeling. Picasso was inspired by the state of affairs he observed in Spain & the death by suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemos to create work in a monochromatic style. The Blue Period expresses the pain he felt. The choice of the color blue induces somber feelings in the viewer. He additionally chose doleful subjects such as poverty, instability, blindness, & prostitution. Picasso explained his shift to painting in blue by saying, ”I started painting in blue when I learned of Casagemas's death”. Picasso’s deep personal sorrow from the loss of his friend is evident to the viewer making the pieces extremely powerful. The works from his Blue Period express his melancholy & thus fall under the limited definition of art.
Society’s definition of art encompasses portraits because of their commemorative & aesthetic qualities. Portraits were commissioned by the wealthy in order to immortalize the subjects appearances. Portraits of men often showed them in military garb in order to preserve for posterity the man’s importance. Many portraits show great technical skill making them aesthetically pleasing. For example, the Mona Lisa, is a portrait of an unknown wife of a Renaissance merchant, yet she captivates audiences because of the skill in which Leonardo depicts her smile. Portraits also serve to counter the claim that art is merely a form of expression because portraits were traditionally created for economic not emotional reasons.
Art has been used to commemorate many important historical scenes. Most people wouldn’t call a textbook art but would classify a picture or poem dealing with the same event as art., Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb is considered art in part because it is a painting. Certain mediums evoke the sense of art to us more clearly than others because of past experiences. Additionally the painting is changing the history in a more direct way than a book would. The viewers are able to visualize the scene as it is portrayed on the canvas rather than through their own interpretation. We chose to consider historical representations art because they connect us to our past & help answer the very human question “how did we get to now?”.
Some define art by its aesthetic appeal but this is flawed. We consider the architecture of Gehry to be art because his designs are complex & cause the viewers to think. But how do you categorize a rundown building? Both the rundown structure & the Disney hall were designed yet most don’t consider the dilapidated building to be art. This comes down to people being impressed by the Disney Hall’s aesthetic & not a dilapidated building’s appearance.
Art is all around us-it is sculpture & poems & paintings-it is beautiful it is ugly, it makes us think & cry. Art history taught me to appreciate the art that has surrounded me all along.
