What Is Art?

Teaching elementary school art presents a fun yet important conversation with students about what is considered art. I show them numerous examples of art, old & new, of differing styles and let them make the call. Some view only realistic art as art because it takes time, effort, and skill to reproduce a realistic image. Some view everything as art because they believe it should be in the eye of the beholder.

As I ponder this question, I come to the conclusion that art comes from within. Art to some is not art to all, and that's okay. The most dividing artist I show in my classroom seems to be Mark Rothko. Rothko's abstract color fields are simple, and to the average observer, plain and quite boring. Why on earth would that not only be considered art, but also be something that can sell for millions? A question my students desperately want me to answer, but unfortunately I cannot. I don't know why some art takes off and is considered phenomenal while other artist's who seem like they have boundless skills don't get recognition.

I do know that much of it should be about how the artwork makes the viewer feel. And how the artwork seemed to have made the artist feel. I often think about Van Gogh and the emotion he put into his work. He truly embodied what art was about in my humble opinion, and unfortunately for him, his brilliance wasn't recognized until after his passing.

As I continue my journey through abstract art making, I think about the question of what is art? Not in a way that I'm questioning whether mine is, but how my art will be received by viewers. Trying to create and sell paintings out into the world is daunting, and it can be discouraging when people don't seem to care or want them, but that's a negative mindset to be taking. I once spoke with an artist at an art festival in Des Moines and he mentioned that his art wasn't for everybody as it was fairly unique. He seemed slightly unsure about that fact. My response to him was that the reason he will find success is because his art isn't for everybody. He made artwork that spoke to him, and the beautiful thing about that is the people who will buy his art are telling him that it speaks to them too. I have to remember that for myself. Any artist who creates doesn't create for everybody, they create for those who feel a connection when they look at your work. When I create fluid paintings I feel a sense of freedom and unknown. The combination of those makes for a wonderful experience and hopefully those few who buy my artwork feel something that compares to that feeling I have.