Sunday, July 6, 2008

What is Art?

Have you ever run across antiquated views concerning what constitutes art? There's an undercurrent that runs through the arts community, sometimes subtle and sometimes overt, that promotes the perception that only 2-d art is truly art. From juried "fine arts" shows to other exhibition and selling venues, one will sometimes find that 3-d (in it's myriad forms) is considered the poor step-child.

I'm not sure how this came to be, or if it has always been this way. The very term "fine art" seems to be inclusive of paintings and drawing in many cases. I do think things are changing and the art world is opening up to be more accepting of different art forms, but the connotations and attitudes still linger. We've all, I'm sure, been in discussions revolving around "what is art?" I've come to believe that art is subjective: something is art if YOU think it is.

There are so many labels associated with the visual arts: craft, fine craft, fine art, artisan, craftsman, crafter, etc. Each has it's own connotations. I feel we all need to respect each other as artists, whether or not we appreciate the art form. What do you think?

No comments: