I have had a long time interest in art, particularly drawing and painting, but also in music and the performing arts too. However, there is an element of the arts of which I am not a fan. That is the rhetoric or the snootiness of art. When in school there were often questions, papers, and lectures about what art is, and while I never formally answered their question this way, my answer now is ‘who cares?’ The first reason for this view is that I’ve never heard a good answer. Some think everything is art some think nothing is art. Who cares? Some debate high art and low art, some believe they have all the answers others believe there are no answers. Who cares? The main reason this type of question bothers me is that it sucks the joy out of art. Numerous people have enjoyed making something whether a painting, a piece of pottery, a carving, or a drawing. Obviously some are more skilled than others, but instead of letting people enjoy what they’ve made we analyze it to death. Some will stop creating things because they don’t think they can make things that are good enough, which is unfortunate. I don’t think it is necessary to not analyze art at all. Particularly for people who buy and sell art, not critiquing it would be insane. It’s simply overdone.
Evidence exists of this in many
museums. Many people seek out a famous piece of art, stare at it, then
pass by many other paintings hardly even
noticing them. We’ve become hung up on what is supposed to be art,
and pay little attention to what may or may not affect us, or simply
what we do and don’t like. For many this can have the effect of
making art seem silly or irrelevant. Fewer people will frequent museums
if they have to be educated first about ‘What art is.’ Attached
to all this debate is the concept that only a few privileged talented
people really have the answer. While there seems to be some of this arrogant
attitude throughout the arts, it seems to tie down visual arts in particular.
It is an attitude that leaves a lot of people behind, and ironically
weakens the power of their own platform, as most people won’t volunteer
to be looked down upon. Certainly there are plenty of people in the arts
that don’t foster these attitudes. Also, I’m sure there are
plenty who enjoy the arts without concern for others view of art. However,
it’s possible that if the snotty attitude about art were dropped
there would be more people interested, and more people who cared.