THE ARTS IN NEW YORK CITY Fall 2017 | Baruch College | Macaulay Honors

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.

Over the course of a week I learned a huge lesson. You can’t force art. I rode miles and miles from day to night going from Brooklyn to Manhattan, popping two tires and bending my handle bar just to make art. The story behind the photos, that’s the art. Art is what you make it to be. It can be fashion, music, colors, history, literally whatever you see as art, it is art. It’s based on such a certain perspective, that if I say a photo of my shoes is not art, someone can shoot right back and argue with me. Let’s begin with a simple bike. Yeah, it’s yellow, it has stickers, it’s cool and the photo is kind of nice too, but that’s not the art. In my eyes, this photo tells a story. This photo shows me the art of riding 36 miles, crashing into the side of a car, hitting a pothole and popping both tires. The art of this photo isn’t in the scenery or in the bike. The art is in the history. However, not many people can tell what this bike went through unless they went on that journey. That’s why the simplest things to describe such as art, become the most complex to create. Despite the story being the art to me, the other art I see in the creation. The wheels, the brakes, the carbon frame, all combine together into what man created. How we went from a wheel, to a pulley, to the invention of a bike. The insane mechanics and true elegancy of the bicycle is art because it speaks to you not only in the aesthetics but also in the complex creation of it.

When I say art cannot be forced this is what I mean. I agree, the painting behind the boy is beautiful and the boy himself is almost posing for just a quality photo that he can post on Instagram but still, where is the real significance? I would argue that this might not be art because it doesn’t tell the full story. We know nothing of this boy, nothing of the painting and nothing of the idea behind the whole photo. Then again, I can also argue that it represents a sense of fashion, painting and true NYC culture. All of those forms of art add up to create a beautiful image that depending on the viewers’ eye, may or may not be art. Isn’t it just so crazy to think of how one perspective can change the whole purpose of a photo?

Lastly, I apologize to all the teenage snap-chatters that instantly share a photo of their new shoes to social media. It is not art; it is not anything in my honest opinion. Yeah, I guess it can be described as “fashion,” but even that would be extreme. It shows no significance and in all honesty fashion, a form of art, needs to be appreciated through the story of the person. In other words, a man wearing 89’ Chicago 1s and a Michael Jordan Jersey will be seen as a retro kind of person with huge amount of appreciation for basketball and it’s message, but a man whowears Raf Simons, takes a photo of just the shoe behind a crude SoHo sidewalk, isn’t giving them the true recognition and message that they deserve. It’s not art; it’s just a picture of your nice shoes with absolutely no significance. Last time I check, art signifies the true beauty of anything whether it is an animal or just a piece of chalk. It gets your mind working double overtime trying to connect the imagery and tell a story as well. Art can be a story, a photo, a painting, music, fashion and the list just goes on and on. Art is what you make it to be. It is less of what your eyes see and more of what your heart feels.

I decided to spread out my “walk” throughout a whole day and include pictures from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The first image was from my daily morning coffee run right before classes. The last picture is from my lunch trip to a taco spot. And last but not least, the second picture was part of my walk to the train in the evening after my last class.

Before beginning my day I decided to stop by Starbucks for a cup of coffee. Right as I walked in, a piece of artwork captured my attention. I feel that I confidently call the first photograph a work of art because it has a meaning, purpose, and it evokes emotion. If you look at the full work of art it illustrates a small map of the location of the Starbucks I was in. It includes the major buildings in the small proximity and silhouettes of people participating in a few activities in the area. It is not only meant to look pretty and play into the ambiance of the coffee shop, but to also be relatable, familiar, and comforting. The main purpose of the artwork is to be aesthetically pleasant but to also make customers feel at home.

For the second picture I decided on the well recognized Madison Av street sign. Although, many people know of the location, it is definitely not art. It is simply a sign that helps create a sense of direction. Even though the white Highway Gothic font stands out clearly in the Traffic Green background color, I would never consider it art. The sign doesn’t evoke any emotion in me, nor does it have a deeper meaning that could be interpreted. The meaning behind the sign is very objective and holds the exact same definition for every person viewing it regardless of their background or experience. The intent of the sign is the same as its interpretation; to direct people and be visible for everyone.

As for the last picture, I chose to use an art decor from a place I visited for lunch. It definitely caught my eye but I am not sure whether I would consider it art or not. Just like the last picture it is just a bunch of signs, but at the same time the signs are not accurate and do not direct people to a certain destination. It is simply part of the decor. The “artist” used a variety of colors on all of the signs to write down popular destinations. Although the piece of work evokes happy emotions (at least for me due to all of the bright colors) there is no organization in it. The colors and locations of all of the signs seem to be random and in addition, all of the signs are pointing in random directions that don’t correlate to the actual locations of the places. The piece itself seems colorful and artsy but I don’t know if I would call it art. Similar to the Starbucks painting, the signs are meant to decorate, and bring out similarity (since I’m sure many people have heard of the locations on the signs).  I’m not sure if the artist meant for it to have a deeper meaning or if the colors/locations are significant to them, but it doesn’t show through in the work.

What is Art? Art is an organized set of work that is viewed and garners a reaction. Art can be a person, something unintentional such as an eraser, or an actual painting in a museum. I think it is easy to spot some forms of art and harder to spot others. Art is subjective and can be interpreted in many different ways. Some things that are hard to classify as art could be tilted or inverted, and it could become art. Some others things are just daily objects. Some daily objects may have art on them. It is hard to define art, because some people may suggest that anything could be art. However, art to me has boundaries. I think that art is a little exclusive. There needs to be certain qualifications as listed above that would make it art. The pieces below go as listed: art, maybe art, not art.

ART: This is actual art in my eyes. This is an organized and intentional piece of work. It is a wooden statue that is a figurine. This figurine is symbolic art that was passed down through my family. The sculpture took time to make. It resembles a real man with a pipe in his mouth. This has taken tie to make, it is organized, and it is a stereotypical statue piece that could probably be found in a museum. 

Maybe Art?: This is simply a woven loofa in my bathroom. As I looked around my house for something that was not art, I looked up to see this material. If I were to edit the picture by proceeding to angle the photo in a different way, I believe this would be considered art. It would be an intentional creation. Also, it could garner reactions as people would ask questions as to what it is. The loofa has an intricate pattern that makes it look like art. these geometric holes could have been made unevenly, but they were made evenly. Also, the color choice could speak to some people. Does the forest green mean something? Does it tie into the shape of the loofa? It is hard to know whether or not this is art, because it could be art to someone else. Also, this is an everyday item. Should every day items have a place as art? Can a toothbrush be labelled art?

Not Art!: No matter how much one edits this picture, I personally believe that it would be a stretch to call it art. This is literally the recycling bag in my house. I think that waste can be symbolic, but not art. This ties into our class discussion about art having boundaries. I believe that even if it was edited it would not be art. As one walks the streets, they do not genuinely think trash is art. That leads to having to differ art from symbolism. Art can be symbolism but symbolism is not art. I do not think that putting trash in a museum would make it art. Just because it is in a glass panel does not make it art.

Every day, we are confronted with tons of visual sights and images. Some rouse our curiosity and amusement, and some become background noise. But of those multitudes of images, what can be considered art? Is art defined by the creator or the beholder? Does it have to evoke meaning, or is it inherent?

The first picture I took was of road graffiti placed by utility workers. This, I would definitely not label art because it was drawn for the specific purpose of demarcating certain infrastructure beneath the street or possible future excavations. The graffiti marks were only made for that practical reason. They may have an aesthetic appeal as well, with the different colors and all, but since they were created with no intention of being thought provoking or emotionally evocative, and the only motive behind it was to communicate a practical message, I would not call that art. That isn’t to say that someone couldn’t draw meaning from it; meaning is in the eye of the beholder, but that doesn’t make it art.

The second picture, that I would definitely consider art, is of a domed part of a building. The white colored base, in contrast with the rest of the building, along with, and especially, the golden dome, are clear architectural embellishments, and don’t serve any purpose but to draw in the eye. Architecture is a well-established medium of art. It is a purposeful physical and visible expression of creativity, and a lot of aspects of it are purely aesthetically based, and do not add to the functionality of the establishment. Architecture, however, is something that may not have any meaning to some people, and is a creation of the architect. Yet, I still undoubtedly consider it art. Therefore, for something to be labeled art, it does not require the approval of the beholder.

The last picture I took was of the Starbucks logo. This seemed like a good option for something that was arguably art. On one hand, its purpose is just to serve as a visual image to go along with the Starbucks name, that would commercialize the brand and would make people remember it more. On the other hand, it is a graphic image specifically designed to be appealing, and maybe out of the context of Starbucks it was explicitly intended to be art. It raises the question of whether the context of something affects if it can be seen as art or not. The Starbucks logo embodied this dilemma well, since it’s something people see all the time, but probably don’t think much of. It’s seen more as an association to the brand of Starbucks, than as a piece of art to be analyzed.

Art is something created with a visual purpose. It can express emotions or thoughts, or try to convey a message, but the core of an art piece, what makes something art, is that it was made to have some kind of graphic impression, in one way or another. Whether that be an aesthetic appeal or the exact opposite, if an object was made with the intent to impress upon, it can be considered art.

I began walking everywhere. Looking furiously to locate an example of art. Creating a definition for the word “art” is incredibly complex. Something I consider beautiful and breath-taking may be viewed as mediocre or ordinary to someone else. As I walked around the streets of Manhattan, I found myself overwhelmed with the millions of examples of art surrounding me. I had no idea which one to choose, or rather, which one I thought would be considered art from everyone’s point of view.

Lamp Post Covered in Posters (Not Art)

I stopped myself in front of a lamp post covered with miscellaneous posters, advertisements, stickers, and tape. I thought of all the people that pasted their poster on that lamp post, and what their intentions were. Their intentions were not to create a beautiful work of art, nor to take someone’s breath away. This lamp post covered with ripped papers and old flyers was not created to be appreciated. If one artist had organized a collage of posters on a lamp post to signify something, I believe that it would be considered a work of art. But there was no organization or purpose on this lamp post, thus it would not be considered a work of art according to the definition I was trying to compose. 

I continued to walk up and down the streets, stopping every 10 feet to contemplate if something would be considered art in my eyes. As I turned the corner, I was engulfed into this giant mural, stretching along an entire sidewalk. Now this for sure was art to me. It made me stop in my tracks, and take a step back. I wanted to spend hours observing and appreciating this beautiful masterpiece. 

Mural Painted on a Wall (Art)

But what exactly made it art to me? Although there were many similarities when I compared the mural and the lamp post, like the complete sense of chaos, there were distinct differences that defined the mural as art. While the lamp post had no organization or reason to it, the mural was painted by an artist to express his own chaos to the world. There is a sense of organized and intended chaos. The mural tells a story, one that the observer is able to create. I was in awe, from the artist’s talent and shear size of the work itself.

After locating two things I believed were and were not art, it was easier for me to define art for myself. I thought about all of the artists that are not appreciated, and whether or not their work is still considered art. I looked up to an old garage, covered in graffiti, as most surfaces in New York City are. I thought about each individual person that wrote on this garage, and their intentions.

Graffiti on a Garage (Maybe Art)

I could walk by fifty garages identical to this in a day, and I probably would not acknowledge the “artwork” that covered it. This could very well be considered art to the person that drew it, but I doubt that it would be appreciated by many other passersby. We do not know if the artist had any intention behind this writing. Graffiti artists, like Banksy, create beautiful, meaningful pieces of art through this form of vandalism, but this form of graffiti may or may not be considered art, depending on who you ask.

After exploring Manhattan and appreciating all of the different types of art that the city holds, I came to multiple conclusions about the categorization of art. Every piece of art has intention. Every artist that creates a piece of art has a reason behind it, an emotion or story they want to express to the world. Art is meant to change your perspective, and it should always be appreciated, even if you disagree with the message behind it. With this in mind, art is also incredibly subjective; there is no right or wrong answer for your own personal definition of art. Without art, there would be no communication of ideas or expression of self. Without art, life is dull, and I will always appreciate the light it gives us.

Lile Ruggiero

The first thing I think about when I hear the word ‘art’ is a painting. A piece that was created with the purpose of inspiring or educating or expressing something. Therefore, I find that a very good basis of art is a purpose; I dare even say, has a reason to exist. Under that umbrella term, a lot of things have purpose, even people have purpose, so what exactly makes a painting art, and not, say, a bag of garbage?

The first photo here, is not art. It is a floor inside of a Starbucks. While it has a purpose (a place to walk on and a decoration to the coffee shop), it is not art. I don’t believe it can be considered art at all because it isn’t going to invoke any feelings from anyone that comes upon it. Therefore, I think the emotional response that a person gets from a piece says a lot about it’s value. We don’t find a floor necessarily pretty, a lot of people have honestly never even noticed it. This lack of recognition makes me also believe that art forces recognition. Something that is art is likely not to be ignored. It demands to be seen.

This photo, I believe could be art. Under the ideas I had that art should be, this seems to satisfy those “requirements”. The highway sign serves a purpose, as does the highway itself that exists in the background. Drivers use the sign for direction and the highway to travel on a daily basis. There’s a clear and definite reason for the sign and the highway to exist, as well as  the fact that by nature, it demands to be looked at. The roar of the cars moving on the highway and the words on the sign make the entire thing impossible to ignore. However, is it art? It could be. However, what real meaning is there? One could argue that the meaning exists to serve the people of Staten Island, but how meaningful is industrialization? There’s no compassion that exists in the highway, or feelings. Even if it has a function, I don’t know if I can consider this art without there being a feeling behind it. Therefore, I believe once again that art must have feeling attached to it – the creator’s feelings and the viewer’s feelings.

This image is art to me, and everyone in my community. When I was in middle school, my small neighborhood was about to get a new store, a Walgreens, which was very unusual because a lot of the stores in my community were all local, small businesses. The response, by everyone, was outrage. Suddenly, there were posters put up everywhere in this exact same format stating “NO WALGREEDS – ROSEBANK UNITED”. While the posters didn’t stop the Walgreens from being built (yet now out of business), they did rally my community and throughout the several years of the Walgreens existing, none of the local small pharmacies in my neighborhood shut down. This poster is art because it served a purpose; thanking the community for supporting Rosebank Pharmacy and all the other small businesses in times of need. It also demands attention; not only do words serve the function of demanding to be read, the poster itself is in the middle of one of the busiest streets, out in the open for all the see. The poster also expresses emotion. The emotions of the creators; anger and outrage, melted into gratefulness and glee. As well as the viewers, feeling pride and happiness in our combined achievements.

So what is art? Art seems to need a purpose, and a desire to be seen. I cannot currently imagine any art that has sat idly by and simply waited to be discovered. Art needs to be seen. Finally, art must express emotion. These emotions can be anything from regret, love, hatred, sympathy, etc. Art simply exists, and is appreciated in some form, by someone. 

I have always loved art and I have actually considered myself an artist at one point or another. I have not, however, taken the time to consider what is art, or what makes one an artist. I took the time to walk around my neighborhood, as Queens is a very diverse neighborhood and I always see a lot of culture. I believe that each culture has their own definition of art, which makes art even more subjective, and the definition more personal. 

The picture (above) is one of the last pictures I took on my journey to define the definition of ‘art’. I love taking pictures of flowers because flowers have so much meaning. There are so many ways flowers can be twisted and mixed to portray something in a picture, drawing or painting. I believe the use of flowers in art shows symbolism and great emotion, and those are two things I believe art should contain. This picture of a rose on a rainy day conveys a lot of meaning. The way my phone works, it can choose to have a central focus, and obviously the central focus is the rose. The rose in the picture can mean so many things. It could be a symbol of deep love, longing, desire or devotion. The picture shows enough background that you can tell the rose is part of a wild bush. So maybe the picture represents wild love, trying to escape. In the wildness it is pure and red roses do symbolize pure love. There are so many ways this could be interpreted and analyzed and that is what I think art should make one do.

This second (above) is something I believe has the potential to be looked at as art. If it was the colored version I believe it would not have such an impact. In color it is just a picture of an abandoned lot that has been vandalized and not taken care of. Being put in black and white will make people wonder about it and gives it more importance then it had before. It makes one wonder about the neighborhood, the graffiti, the general ambiance of the picture and perhaps make them question why this is so rundown. This is one of those things, that by itself it could not be considered art. However, when given context and a little editing, it shows a deeper meaning.

This third picture (above) is something I do not consider art at all. It is a simple traffic sign that serves a purpose in a simple neighborhood. This picture is not something I would consider art because to me it has no meaning. All I see is a sign that notifies someone that there is no where further to go. While helpful this does not have a symbolism to me at all. One could argue that it is a warning, a sign of imminent danger. However I take this as a literal sign that there is nowhere to go past a certain point.

Traveling around my neighborhood looking for things to photograph was surprisingly easy. It was the choosing which could be considered art or not that was the hard part. By my standards and understanding of art, what I wrote is how I would rate each of the pictures. My definition of art has not really changed much. In my first two pictures I felt something, a connection and appreciation of beauty. The third picture left me feeling absolutely nothing. Art to me is anything, be it a picture, a drawing, a painting, a sculpture, etc, that conveys a feeling, or makes someone feel something. It could be a feeling as simple as “Well, this is beautiful.”, or “I wish I never saw this.” As long as it makes you feel something I believe it could be art. 

A purple-hued, silhouette-centered sunset. This, to me, is art. This picture was taken on the very last day of August. The silhouette in question is my boyfriend and the purple hues signify the time of time; the sun setting lower and lower, as if it is about to touch the water. Every year, my boyfriend and I have held the tradition of spending an entire day at the beach on the very last day of August as if to signify the end of summer- or another summer spent together. Both being huge fans of the beach and sunsets at the beach, and both having schedules so inundated with part-time jobs and classes, spending a day together combining what the two of us love the most has become one of my favorite things in the world.

And because this day holds so much meaning to me, and because the brilliant, fiery (slightly edited) sunset that night was beyond compare, this photo will always be my definition of “art.” My boyfriend’s bounty of energy, present even at the end of a day, is evident as he jumps in and out of the water, spreading his arms wildly. His featureless silhouette becomes the epitome of enjoyment, of joy, of freedom- even if it is just only for that day. The sun setting behind him paints a picture of a vibrant, beautiful sky- a landscape both esthetically pleasing to the eye and emotionally significant as the end of another day in a life.

A book that stands out from the rest. Titled, When You Were Mine, its place protrudes from among the rest of the other monochrome books. This photo was taken on a casual shopping trip with my best friend, who had just gotten out of a relationship. The break up was still fresh- it had only been a month. We were wandering the bookcases of a local thrip shop. She was absentmindedly scanning the piles and rows of books when she stopped on this particular book. A particularly sad look came across her face, and she sat there, crouched, and staring at the book. I believe it was the title that got to her, as she uttered not a word about having read or come across the book itself. After a minute, she got up from her position and walked away. I could tell that she was lost in thought about everything that had happened between and her ex-boyfriend just a month ago and I could tell that, in her mind, she was thinking about “when he was hers.”

After she had walked away, I pulled the book out and took a picture of it, standing there among the stacks. Many of you may look at this picture and not understand why it is art. The reason being that perhaps this book has no meaning to you. Perhaps you feel nothing or can relate to nothing when you read the title. In a like manner, this book would have not meant anything to me, had I not seen the effect it had had on my friend. The power of a few words on the cover of a novel had moved my best friend to silence and had drawn upon the most vulnerable parts of her heart. Perhaps one who could directly relate to a time “When You Were Mine,” would consider this to be art. Some may be moved just by the curiosity of a book out of place among the others.

A whiteboard stating that this cafe has “Free Wifi.” This photo was taken at my local cafe, and the only reason I took a picture of this board was because I knew I would need to remember the login information. This, to most people, is most definitely not considered art. There is not much that is aesthetically pleasing beyond the colors used and the quality of the photo itself isn’t considered some of my “best work.” There is no meaning behind this photo, no emotional depth. This photo doesn’t move me and there are no particular memories or feelings attached to this whiteboard or the day I took this photo itself. In fact, although it was only a week ago, this photo and this day has already completely faded from my mind. In essence, it is forgettable, meaningless, lacking-depth and cannot be considered art in my eyes.

Art is an idea or a concept, captured or portrayed through any medium. It is a means of conveying said ideas or concepts, or of invoking emotion upon those who stumble across it or for those who it was intended for. This emotion could be of the aesthetic kind or of the emotional kind. The reaction art invokes could be minuscule but it could also be monumental. Perhaps art will only move its creator, or perhaps it may move nations.

If something created or captured through a medium has the ability or the power to move you, make you feel something, or invokes a reaction of either the physical or emotional depth, then this something is considered art.

It’s deep within yourself. No one else can tell you what fits these qualifications above. Art is determined by each individual and by each individual self.

Art is everywhere. It’s in our homes, on our streets, and even in our subways. We see it every single day. But can any of us really define what it is?

In all honesty, I can’t give you a universal definition of what art is. I don’t think anyone can. Art, in its very nature, is subjective. As cliché as it sounds, we all see things differently. No one person sees the same picture when they look at a Pollock painting. No one feels the same when they watch Star Wars.

Everyone values different things. And that is okay.

We are not bound by the textbook definition of art just being paintings and sculptures. Art is whatever we envision it to be.

This first photograph was taken in my home town of Richmond Hill, Queens. At first glance, it doesn’t look like much –  A bunch of blue pebbles in an old fountain. But when I look at it, I think of Angel, my pet fish, and the blue pebbles at the bottom of his tank. I think about how he was my first pet and in conjunction my first responsibility. I think about waking up every morning and feeding him his tetracolor flakes and occasionally cleaning his tank.

Not very deep, I know. But, that’s the thing about art, it doesn’t have to be.

This second photograph, I actually took on the Baruch campus. On the 14^th floor of the Lawrence and Eris Field Building, to be exact. I was an hour early to my English class when I saw this girl with the brightest sneakers. I thought to myself, what are those? Then I thought to myself, those are hers. They’re her statement piece – a reflection of who she is. If I saw those in a store, I would probably look at them and walk in the opposite direction. But seeing them on her, made all the difference. I started thinking about her character and how bold she was.  In that moment, she was art.

Some might disagree. Some might say, that this is just a random photograph of a random girl. Some might say, that clothing is not art. To me, it is. What we wear is an expression of who we are.

Finally, this last photograph, as you can see, is a bunch of black garbage bags lined up in a row. Personally, when I see this I don’t feel anything. I just think to myself, “wow these people have a lot of garbage.” But maybe someone might pass by and might relate to it. Maybe it reminds them of taking out the garbage for the first time as a kid, or maybe it runs much deeper and reminds them of things they have let go.

Art can be literally anything. It can be some graffiti on a wall, it can be a pile of rocks, or it can be a street sign. Art is based upon an individual’s perception. Art is personal and therefore not subject to limitation.

Alyssa Motilal