When I first read over this assignment, I thought to myself that there wasn’t going to be so much of a difference between the three pictures for me- one that was definitely art, one that was maybe art, and one that was definitely not art. I realized that I did not have a very good personal definition for what art is. So I got thinking about what my definition of art was. Was something only art if there was an artist creating something with an intention in mind? Did the artist need to feel an emotion while creating it, or was it the viewer who had to feel an emotion while viewing it? There’s no way of being sure that these feelings of the artist and the viewer would be the same ones, because people have their own personal experiences that could bring up different feelings from the same piece of art. Did there even have to be an intentionality involved by someone else? Or could I make something art, just by observing something that evoked a feeling for me?
I came to a conclusion that my definition of art is multifaceted. Sometimes art is what a person creates as a result of skill or expertise in a particular medium, like fine art or beautiful music. Other times art is the result of feeling, expressed through techniques of color, sound, or movement; like abstract art, interpretive dance, or punk/noise music. I don’t really consider myself an artist, but I think that an artist would definitely acknowledge both of these as art.However, for me personally, art is something that evokes a feeling for me. I’m a deeply emotional and sentimental person and art affects me when it reminds me of something in my past, or something that feels important. So that’s what I decided to go with as my working definition of art.
My first picture, of what I definitely consider art: I was walking behind these two boys for a bit and noticed how their hands were swinging in an exaggerated way, their hands bumping into each other clumsily. It seemed like they wanted so badly to hold hands, but something was holding them back. Maybe they didn’t want to admit it to each other, or themselves, or even just those around them. It made think about how intimacy between male friends is such a taboo in our society, especially for black men. It reminded me of this video that my friend from high school made. I thought about how I always hold the hands of my friends, wherever I am, whenever I feel like it. I hope that these boys can love each other, or maybe they were just messing around and I was looking too into it, either way I wish them well. I think that this is definitely art, and I would be considered to be the artist because I captured a moment of feelings and emotions of both my own and of my subject.
These are the pictures that I’m unsure of whether or not they are art. I often stop to capture the muddled visage of buildings reflected in water. These two I saw in the Central Park Conservatory Garden (which many would of course claim to be art). When I see the reflection of facades such as these in rippling water, it makes me think about another world on the other side. I know this sounds trite, but it really does feel like magic in an everyday object. I’m not sure if they’re art because there wasn’t anyone creating this image to make me feel this way, but I feel something regardless. Whether or not this is art depends on one’s definition of art.
This last set of pictures definitely made me feel something, but I do not think that they’re art. The first one of the ladies in the yellow skirts makes me feel like I stumbled upon a serendipitous moment, how silly and special that these two were wearing such similar outfits and that they seemed to pass by each other without even noticing. And the second picture, of the mother and son (presumably) both wearing bright orange shirts. This felt special too, but in a different way. They were clearly aware that they were wearing the same color, but I like to imagine how this came about. Maybe the mother told the son that it was time to go, he was inspired by her wardrobe choice and decided that it would be fun to match. Maybe they were meeting up somewhere and it was simply a silly coincidence. Maybe they were going to a Konigsdag party (the King’s birthday in the Netherlands) where everyone wears the national color orange. I don’t know if this is considered art but I really enjoy capturing funny occurrences such as these.
