"This is fabulous. The way space is presented, the juxtaposition of line and form, the suggestion of a spirit ... a brilliant artwork."
The bald man, in his sharp suit, is a studio artist and has become enamored with an abstract piece on public display. He explains his interpretation to John Stossel and a nearby TV crew.
Stossel grins from beneath his highly amusing moustache and tells the man, "Actually, this picture was made by two 4-year-old girls and some finger paints about an hour ago."
"Well ... these are obviously very talented 4-year-olds we're talking about," the man sputtered.
The television show on which I watched this exchange was soon over, but as usual, my thoughts continued. It was clever of Stossel to catch the supposedly enlightened critic in his own words, highlighting the sentiment among many that what passes for "art" seems absurd, at times.
Yes, John Stossel, this is art. It's just not the "art" you're used to.
For the sake of simplicity, I will limit my discussion to two-dimensional visual art, including paintings, drawings, mixed media, photographs, screenprints, lithographs and the like. What distinguishes some of these artworks as "art" and others not so much?
In the case of Stossel's toddler masterpiece, the question of intent comes into play. A professional artist infuses meaning into abstract pieces by using color, line, shape and rhythm to invoke emotion and a message.
Four-year-olds just like getting messy. They don't care about trying to say much with their pictures. So, while the girls' abstract finger painting may look similar to a professional piece, the secret is all in the intent, and skillful observers can discern meaning from the supposed randomness.
Skeptical minds may contend that "I can draw any scribble I want and make up a story about what it means and say I'm an artist." Sure you can. Then go try to sell it to a gallery without knowing what particular movement you are influenced by, from what tradition came your choice of subject and materials and without preparation for curators' hundreds of questions about your symbolism and what it means for our culture. Believe it or not, it's much more difficult to create a meaningful piece of artistic expression than it looks.
Another consideration is that people see what they want to see in art. A snapshot at a party may be looked upon with sober eyes the next day and become a representation of friendship, fun and joy. Last night, it was an accidental pressing of the shutter.
Similarly, I'm not very fond of the works of Thomas Kinkade, the inspirational "painter of light" who creates homey scenes of houses with illuminated windows, but many observers enjoy a sense of peace and comfort from these works, looking upon the warmth of the home and the welcoming of the family, and they gain rejuvenation from his images.
The true value of visual art is like the value of literature; it serves as a representation of a time and place, like a history textbook but with the vividness of the original hour.
It provides a commentary on the values of our culture, as the discoveries of anthropologists help us discern clues about past people. The key is being open to various interpretations and letting the art speak to you as it may.
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