Defining Art

Art is subjective, in its many forms, whether it be painting, sculpture, drawing, dance, theatre, writing, or any other form of creative expression.  Therefore narrowing down a specific definition is just as subjective, but I am going to refer to an article entitled “A Naturalist Definition of Art” by Denis Dutton that appeared in the summer 2006 issue of The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism.  In the article he says “characteristic features found cross-culturally can be reduced to a list of core items”.  He went on to describe twelve key items, or characteristic features, that should be present within the questioned work for it to be considered a work of art.  These characteristic features are summarized here:

·         Direct Pleasure – the work should be a source of immediate, experimental pleasure for the viewer.

·         Skill or Virtuosity – specialized skills were required or necessary to create the work.

·         Style – a recognizable style can be easily discerned that sets the work apart from similar works.

·         Novelty and Creativity – the work stands alone as a unique creation or idea even if based on existing ideas or similar creations.

·         Criticism – critique of the work should be elaborate and detailed, the critique is required to compare and contrast the work against similar works in a sophisticated fashion.

·         Representation – a clear, concise idea is represented.

·         “Special” focus – the work should seem “bracketed off” from the ordinary, and will demand unique attention.

·         Expressive Individuality – the work should reflect and be representative of its creator’s unique style and discernible as such.

·         Emotional Saturation – the work should invoke varying degrees of emotion to the viewer.

·         Intellectual Challenge – the work should present a mystery or puzzle to draw in the viewer.

·         Art Traditions and Institutions – the work should be recognized as having value by institutions such as museums, galleries, and the artist’s peers.

·         Imaginative Experience – the work should stand as a “presentation” of the imagination of the viewer.

 

It's a Little Stuffy in Here

Without going into an elaborate explanation of why this technically is or isn’t true, I’ll just say that I’m an only child and an only grandchild.  I’ll also say that I have no cousins.  All of this has changed within the last 4 years, but for simplicity, we’ll leave it at that.
 

With the above being stated, there comes the avalanche of “stuff”.  By “stuff” I mean, the various things that end up being passed down when someone of the older generations passes away.  “Stuff” flows downward.  Sometimes its good stuff, sometimes its weird stuff, but most of the time, it is “stuff”.  The question is what to do with this stuff?

I’m a great organizer.  I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night thinking about how to organize stuff (my stuff, your stuff, her stuff, his stuff, their stuff, etc.)  I also tend to play Sudoku and Search-a-words in my head, but that’s another topic entirely. 

As the only child, and only grandchild, and having no cousins, all the family “stuff” is in a continuous flowing motion toward me.  I’m kind of like a water detention basin.  Add my only son into the mix, and I realize that the stuff will eventually flow to him. 

I want to spare him the avalanche.

So begins the process of sorting the stuff.  Sorting involves tossing and/or donating lots of stuff (hey, I can’t keep every ceramic swan, can I?).  Thus enters the GUILT.  Guilt, guilt, guilt!  So, I pick some stuff to keep, and put into a box to look at once a year. 

Ahhhh!

So, what to do?  Seriously.  If it’s not the ceramic swans, wood carved ducks, novice paintings, then its jars and jars of buttons.  I have to get rid of the stuff.  I can’t keep it all, can I?

The Rules

It seems as if there is a secret club the majority of people belong to, that I am either not welcome in or not privy to the secret code of membership.  You have to follow the rules to belong to this club, rules that I do not know because I am obviously not a member.    

Membership cards to this club are passed out as frequently as social security cards, based upon the statistics of the people that seem to belong to it. 

So, what club is this?  It’s the "People That Know the Rules, and Live By Them" club..  It’s the people that look at me like I’m crazy if I say or do something that doesn’t fall within the lines of the rules set forth by their club.  It’s the people that seem amused by my struggle to understand some concept that they take for granted because they live it every day. 

And, where did these rules come from?  I have some theories.  One theory is that the rules came from church.  Notice, I didn’t say that they came from the Bible - I’m pretty familiar with those rules.  No, the rules in this club seem to have come from some religious organization.  Either that, or they have been passed down from generation to generation, the foundation of the rules now as barren as the land on the family farm that’s been handed down with them.  But, by God, the members will follow them anyway because they are The Rules!
 
To the members – I don’t know your rules. Besides, who says your rules are right?  Who says I'm not as good as you are, even if I don't follow the "Club" rules?

I AM NOT a member.

 

 

Orion

No light but the moon

Illuminating my way.

Trees embrace me

There is nothing to say.

 

A rustle to my left

Should cause alarm.

But my breath is steady

There’s nothing to harm.

 

A moment of peace

When everything is known.

Mysteries unveiled

Destinies shown.

 

Orion guards the scene

From his post in the sky.

Fragile human and demi-God

Alone, him and I.

 

There’s no better classroom

Than the woods at night.

Only when fear is conquered

Comes the gift of sight.

 

Virgo

I was going to write a long diatribe outlining the good and bad points of being a Virgo (listing things is a very Virgo thing to do) and thus explain why I have decided to start this blog up again. But, I have started and stopped about 8 times so far. Which, by the way, is one of the bad points of being a Virgo…we are such damn perfectionists. We know exactly what we want to say, but putting it into words is...scary for us. Good thing I decided to become a writer! Haha.

We always face the wrath of misinterpretation. Always.

So, etc. etc., I wish you, dear reader, could jump inside my head so you could know exactly what I'm meaning to say here. But, you can't. That is physically impossible. So, I'll just say it... I'm starting this blog up again. (yes, I'm keeping my "other" one, for those of you who know my "other" one.) I don't know how often I'm going to update this one. And, there I go again with my Virgo-ness. Ok, in a nutshell (and, where did that saying come from anyways?)... I am starting this blog up again.

Peace out.

"Virgo" by artist Josephine Wall