"Art" Show

 My husband is getting his MFA in pottery. Since he is at school all the time, he often gets to go to his colleague's art shows. I get to go every once in a while, which is nice because it gives me a chance to step outside of my every day norm.

It is often discussed in my house "what is art" because it is often discussed at school in my husband's critiques. He likes to get my opinion and I enjoy hearing his. But I don't think you can pin point a definition down to what "Art" is. Someone who might not be trained at all can slap something together, or paint a picture, or make some kind of sculpture and call it "Art". While someone who is trained and knows what they are doing would disagree with that person. I always feel like the debate of "what is art" is never ending. I think you just have to chalk to up to what your opinion is of things you do and don't like.

For instance:

This is a Jackson Pollock piece. I saw this piece or one similar to it in a Art museum in Buffalo, NY. My husband asked me what I thought of this painting when we came to it. (He likes taking me to Art shows and openings because I have an "unbiased" opinion, a "normal" person's view that isn't in the academic debating art world.) I had no idea who Jackson Pollock was, and I honestly thought the painting was kind of cool. Don't you think it would be fun to shut yourself in a room with a big canvas (or just blank walls!) and go to town flinging paint everywhere? YEAH! That would be cool! So since I like this piece, I guess I would call it "Art". But my husband disagrees intensely. He thinks Pollock doesn't have any talent and shouldn't be considered "Art." Interesting eh?

Anyway- Back to the current art show I went to this weekend. There were three graduating grad students whose work was in this show. I didn't get pictures of everything because I already felt like I was breaking rules taking pictures.

The difference between Art museums and student Art shows, is that the student shows all the work they have from that year or semester. They have an idea/concept/theme that they are showcasing through their "Art."

 I think the concept got lost here. This is the same person's work. Yes, you are looking at a ton of butterflies and yes, those are octopus legs coming out of a frame. What is the connection you ask? Your guess is as good as mine... Is it "Art"? Well...

 Here is another piece from the same person. This actually took up the whole wall and was HUGE. See the tiny butterflies around it still? I thought just the sheer size of this was interesting. There was a lot to look at. But I still don't get the connection of butterflies to sea stuff, and then there were also a couple of crows in there. ???

Another grad student made charcole drawings of very strong burly men, putting on drag makeup. Only the makeup was in color, and it was BRIGHT colors. As far as the skill goes, this person could draw very well. It wasn't exactly my preference as far as "Art" goes, but it was fun to look at. He also had a giant male drag mannequin. WHOA.

Sometimes you see some really interesting things at Art Shows.

If I stood next to this dude, I would come up to his lower shoulders. He/she (ha!) was tall! And those boots were very large and very sparkley. It would be very entertaining to see someone in real life wearing them.

And the last student had paintings that I enjoyed. You can kind of see a couple in the photo bellow. They are the sort of pictures that are neat to look at far away, but when you get closer you can't really see what it is supposed to be. Lots of emotion, it was cool.

Our little family enjoyed our Friday night full of Octopus legs, butterflies and drag queens. 

Its fun to be cultured!

What do you think "Art" is?