My Art

*crumples up a piece of paper and throws it on the floor*
Clears throat and points

This is my art, and it inarguably constitutes as such on the sole basis of personal expression. However, it also carries with it the additional quality of contemporary meaning which compels the viewer to delve further into my (the artists) world. Its isolated location on the floor exemplifies that to be an individual in a media driven society, you must be secluded from the mass group of mindless conformers. As result, the shape of my art signifies the feeling of oppression and dissatisfaction.
In order to gain such insights to my work, it is crucial that you not only visit my exhibit at all angles, each side adding dimensions of significance to my work, but that you visit at different points in the day. I guarantee - your perception of my art under the soft pale light of noon pouring through the window will be very different experience than the dim glow of sunset hours later.

How sad. In case you didn’t realize from the sarcastic tone above, I’m not a fan of contemporary art.
Two weeks ago I went to Toronto (Canada) with my uni art class to visit some galleries downtown. For the most part, I’m not going to lie – I enjoyed myself. However, there are some forms of artistic expression I just cannot accept.
During the trip, my friend and I walked into a room and saw a random assortment of shopping bags on the floor in the corner, and we started laughing hysterically pretending that it was placed there intentionally on display as “art”. How is this for irony – it was. There was a sign on the wall for it and everything. Next time you go shopping, leave the bags all over the floor in your room and tell your mom it’s your “art” when she asks you to clean it up.

I know this has been lengthy, but it’s been bothering me, and here’s the bottom line: I know I’m weird, but while I understand art is all about creativity and stimulating the imagination, I still can’t let go of the fact that art should be executed with some kind of talent attached.

Thoughts on contemporary art?

 

I have to totally agree with you. Examples of 'art' that lost me were an unmade bed and a tent. I can see these sorts of things without going to a gallery - same as the plastic carrier bags. I think art requires effort and although peoples abilities differ, it is the time and dedication put into the work that counts.

 

Art is completely subjective. A crumpled up piece of paper on the floor can be art if that is the artist's true intentions. I personally don't like a lot of those kinds of art, but in the end I do believe it counts as art.

What I really do not like are the "artists" who are, in more cases than not, rather pretentious and stuck-up.

Some people will get your art, some won't. Some people will like it and some won't. Don't take yourselves too seriously and things will be fine. Do what you like to do, but don't be high and mighty. Because, in the end, anything and everything can be a work of art with the right mind behind it so there's no such thing as "good" or "bad" art except in the view of that particular piece's artist. And though people should and will have their personal preferences, there is nobody's particular work of art that is universally better than anyone else's.

At least, that's my theory.

 

I never said contemporary art ultimately wasn't "art" - I just expressed my opinion of what I think art should constitute as vs. the social standards (which in my opinion, are as low as they can get)
JackS27, you bring up some interesting points however, and I respect your opinion :)

 

I think that to be art, it has to be intended to be art, and it should have effort or expression. If those shopping bags were arranged in a certain way or something like that, I'm sure calling it art is justified.

 

Contemporary art, as it's called, isn't my thing either. I prefer when art did draw people to look like people, objects to be discernible as objects etc and that I don't have to sit there and try for two hours to figure what the heck the picture is about. I also find it disturbing these 'artists' can make lots of money off of some of the art that is just...pointless to anyone but the person. Yes, art is subjective and up to each individual person to decide. Some after all judge whether or not rap or heavy metal happens to be classed as 'music' or not. Nudity or violent acts in paintings can also be debated as art or pornography and sickening scenes. So art is in the eye of the beholder.

However, since I do draw and such, and seem more drawn to artwork that displays itself easy so I can get the mood, ambiance, scene etc, a discernible portrait or scene that calls to me and is easy to grasp is more exciting to me, regardless really of the emotions invoked. I don't like 'puzzles' to figuring out a painting or design. It either calls to me or it doesn't, same as music or clothing etc. However, some people do like it so I wouldn't say it's not art. It's just not my thing. It's kind of like we judge each other's art in our signatures and avatar and some I liked that were poorly rated and others I didn't like as much that received higher scores on the 1-10 scale. Art doesn't call to us all the same.