Defining art may prove more difficult than a concrete idea; the reason for this, its subjectiveness. To one, art may be defined by the limitations of being something tangible, to another, art will go beyond these limitations and is inhibited by nothing. With the idea of art being ambiguous, I set out on the streets of Manhattan to decide on a definition for myself. However, as I searched for the perfect art and non-art, I realized the enormity of what I was trying to achieve. The marks left on New York City represent centuries of culture, and, within that, human emotion and reasoning. Who was I to decide that something, in my opinion, obscure did not have resonances with its maker, who intended it to be a piece of art to lace the streets of the city? Scouring Manhattan I could only hope to capture images that represented clear distinctions between art and its opposite.
I began with something I believe clearly illustrates art in its most literal form. The sculpture represents human expression upon a tangible medium, in this instance, bronze, to produce a piece that will impress upon those who see it. Its creator had a clear intent to pay homage to William Seward, a former governor of New York, senator, and antislavery activist. Those who placed it on display in the middle of Madison Square Park obviously considered it an art form that represented something, otherwise, they would not have deemed it worthy of being displayed. Aside from what it represented and continues to represent, the piece itself is thought provoking. How does Seward’s body language describe the type of person he was? What does the ornateness of the chair he is sitting atop convey about the era he lived in? What does the expression upon his face tell us about his ideals, beliefs, and hopes? The details on the chair, the feathers on the quill, even the soft folds on his face, tell a story. When I was photographing the image, there were half a dozen people next to me that were taking a picture as well. Perhaps they saw what I did.
This next photograph illustrates the blurred line between art and non art. It’s architecture may not match the art deco of the Empire State Building or the grandeur of the New York Public Library, but it in itself represents something. The layers of cracking paint and hints of weathered rust allude to something beyond what I saw at the surface. Each layer of paint tells a story of why it was needed, what caused the other layers to fade. In the spikes atop the railing, I was able to see someone’s expression and hope that these little details would create a building worthy of recognition. Although it likely faded into obscurity, the effect was not lost on me. Someone, likely without modern technology, took time to make sure that the indentations were uniform. Someone took time to repaint it after it had been weathered by nature. This little piece of railing, although it may have been for purely aesthetic reasons, mattered to someone. 
This last photograph was taken when I looked down at where I was standing. It was created by the life cycle of leaf on a tree and a breeze that carried it. It was not placed there deliberately, its color was not determined to match the sidewalk it happened upon. The photograph does not provoke much at the surface, unless one decides to ponder the metaphoric resonances of the circle of life. I would not define it as art, although vintage bloggers and those who create default screens for computers may tell you otherwise. This picture describes, rather clearly, how art is subjective. While I may look at it as something inconsequential, it may causes someone else to contemplate the reason for his entire existence.
This experience was enlightening, but not in the way I thought it would be. I was naïve to believe that I would be able to come up with clear, or at least somewhat, definitions of art and non art. There is difference between pieces that move mountains and encourage people to contemplate celestial effects on earthly matters and the pieces that do not cause passerby to blink twice or are merely considered happenstance: human opinion. There are billions of people on the planet, each with his or her own idea of what constitutes art. I believe that it should often evoke something within you, but even that is subjective to how I’m feeling that day. Often, I am not content with obscure answers to seemingly definitive questions; however, when it comes to the answer of “what is the definition of art,” an ambiguous response resonates with me more than a concrete one ever could.
Grace Kassin
Totally agree with your feeling of deciding between what can be considered Art or non-art. Art is so subjective and who are we to tell someone what art truly is. The first photo definitely captures the “tangible-medium” of what art can be classified as to most viewers. It helps to invoke emotion and all art should be able to do that. As far as your second photo, I love how you were able to capture the blurry image and relate it to the fact that it was “blurry” to you as well as far as it being considered art. The uniformity of the spikes shows viewers that this railing was carefully created and sculpted by someone, making it art for that person. Overall I really enjoyed your writing and photography skills, great job!
At first glance, your second photograph just looked like an old green pipe to me. No questions came to mind and I felt nothing. After reading your analysis, I understand why you chose it. Hearing your thoughts made me realize that even though the pipe may not hold any meaning to me, it means something to someone else.
That’s the beauty of art – all it takes is one person.
I likewise agree with your first picture. You had so many factors playing in the definition of art that it open a whole new window of thinking. I like the way you included what the statue was made out of because that is also something really important in defining art because it opens the viewers to a different outlook of what the artist is trying to convey. I this case it might be for prestige. But why didn’t the artist you gold, silver, platinum, or any other metal or plastic to sculpt this artwork? I think the fact that you have so many ways of defining art allows more questions, thoughts, and meaning to a piece.
I agree with your first post of the statue being considered a piece of art. That statue was created and intentionally placed there in honor of someone. The statue is meant to invoke emotion in you when you see it and to appreciate what William Seward accomplished as a human being. An artist had an image of this sculpture in his mind and made it come to life in this sculpture which to men, makes it a piece of art without a doubt.