Thursday, November 20, 2003

Art? Art is many things, but it is definitely not easily defined. art1    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (ärt) n. Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium. The study of these activities. The product of these activities; human works of beauty considered as a group.   Seems the dictionary makes sure that art is somehow beautiful.  In that case, does the performance "artist" currently sitting in a "a bath of baked beans with French fries up his nose and sausages wrapped round his head" qualify as art?  Does anyone think that is beautiful?  And does art necessarily have to be pretty?  I've been to many art museums, and seen many disturbing things meant to be art, but that were definitely not "beautiful" by any stretch of the imagination.  Interesting?  Yes.  Beautiful?  Not this side of the Manson family. Or take for instance Bembo's Zoo.  Someone obviously spent a lot of time coming up with those graphics and probably played with those letters for hours figuring them out.  Definitely the "conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements," but do you consider it to be art? Performance art is the best -- you know, like the guy sitting in a tub of breakfast.  Just the idea that someone would humiliate themselves in the name of "art" is incredibly amusing to me.  Art?  Maybe not.  Comedy?  Definitely. Perhaps Bono put it best when he said, "I don't know what it is, so it must be art." Related sites: Strange Art Bert Christensen's Weird, Strange & Just Plain Bad Art Collection Art on the Net 8:35:49 PM     |

© Copyright 2005 Alex L. Mauldin.