Opinions on Art

Opinions? We all have them, just like we all have an... well... we all have them.

For me, art is the fundamental in social communications. Just like a verbal language, all cultures need developing arts to continue to learn, communicate and survive. All the arts!

I can't imagine living in any society without art. It's the language we can learn or redesign. Art is the place where we discover what we don't know and yet it still is able to remind of what we do know.
Art is more than mere craftsmanship and utility. And yet it can still be simply that. Art isn't always spirtual nor does it have to be. But it can be everything we embody as a humans, spirtually and non spiritually.

Art is the unspeakable made speakable.

The definition of art is an art. For every person with a definition there is a form of art hidden. The contemporary definition of art is a paradox. Age old traditions of art have many people entranced in what WAS defined as art.

The true role of an artist is to define what is art not now, but 100 years from now. Go back 100 years and look at the big names that represent their times and they were hated, scoffed at and ridiculed! Why would today be different.

What I've found most often while talking to them about "art" and what their opinions are or are not is that the ones that don't get it don't really understand it. They don't understand the background of the artist or the pieces they produce. So to me they don't know the language and often have no interest in really learning the language.

But... many people don't understand the language of music, an abstract art, and they still can enjoy it. Modern composition has the same problems in the general public not understanding or caring to understand thier form of art. What it really comes down to is one word, esthetics.
"Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste"

Once a participant of art gets past all art is pretty and pleasing, they get it. Once someone has seen the light through a dirty lense the world has greater measure. After all, all those mountain scenes, just big dirty rocks in wonderful light. No? Not everyone likes the mountains. Nor does everyone love the beach?

I once said "I rather paint a land fill than a landscape. It's more interesting."