An Analysis of the Creation and Interpretation of "Art"

An Analysis of the Creation and Interpretation of "Art"

Nathan Spencer

ARTH 252-001

Contemporary Art & New Media

I could start this off by asking the question, "what makes something art?" I could, but I'm not going to. It is a pointless question to be asking in the first place due to the highly subjective nature of the concept of "art." If we try to nail down a solid definition, someone will simply come up with some new way to subvert it by arbitrarily applying the label to something that very obviously doesn't fall into the current category. The result is the creation of a new revolutionary form of artistic expression for everyone else to begin imitating until it is accepted as "legitimate" and included in a revision to the aforementioned definition, which of course begins the entire process anew.

While the definition of "art" may be constantly evolving, one constantly recurring "rule" I notice is that every work of art seems to have a need to convey a message, or "say" something profound and thought-provoking. "We as humans should rethink our relationship with technology." "Life in a chaotic environment is highly stressful." "People should treat each other with more kindness and respect." This is all well and good, but I can't help but feel these messages are often presented in such a counterintuitive manner that they can scarcely be said to have any meaning at all without the artist specifically telling somebody what it is supposed to be. Conversely, there are those who insist on analyzing and studying a given piece to uncover its supposed meaning, never considering the possibility that the creator may specifically have intended for it not to have one.

This is not to say that a work of art can't or shouldn't have any meaning, or that any given piece should strive to conform to any particular aesthetic standards. However, a piece should be able to stand on its own and say whatever it is meant to say without the artist (or anyone else) speaking for it....