Art Delights Me!
First, let’s take a look at the definition of Art!
It is the quality, production, expression or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. So why should anyone care about finding this beauty?
Well because it has many benefits that go along with it!
For one it makes us happy!
Art can provide a feeling of happiness and pleasure to those who look upon or participate in the art. It allows our imagination to fuel our minds with ideas, emotions, experiences and even memories.
So if Art does all this for us what is there not to love about it? Well, I found out that discovering my own personal connection with Art was difficult for me. Let’s take a look at why this may be!
What is 'Art'?
In my opinion, art should be relatable. In other words, as an observer, you should have some sort of reaction towards the piece as an individual as well as the artist as a whole. I find myself struggling to connect artistically with most pieces of ‘Art’ I see.
For example, at an art gallery, there is a diverse selection of artwork. From paintings to sculptures and even some photography, the array of paintings is tremendous! But yet I feel as though they all look so similar to me. Most of the time I cannot personally connect with it because almost every piece has an abstract style that is too “out there” for me to really understand most pieces.
Also, most artists who create their work use an art movement or style that I cannot come close to understanding. When this happens I find myself just seeing random shapes and colors rather than actually seeing the beauty in it all. This creates a disconnection between me and the artist instead of a connection which is what Art should be about.
Sometimes I find myself saying ‘I wish I could see the artist’s view towards their work’ because as a passive observer, it can be so difficult to appreciate what an artist sees in a piece.
Now I can talk about one great artist that I did connect with and understand and it was Frida Kahlo.
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who used symbolism, vivid colors and raw emotion to create her art. She created unique pieces that were so beautiful in their own way. I personally connected with Frida’s work by being able to see the emotions she was portraying through them. This helped me understand how much work really went into each piece of art she created.
Through all the ups and downs while creating her masterpieces, you could tell that there was a struggle going on while painting since she had polio that left her bedridden for a long period during her lifetime. The struggles did not stop Frida from creating great pieces though!
In conclusion, was discovering Art difficult for me? Yes, it certainly at times can be! But creating your own unique style and finding an art movement that you truly connect with helps a lot. Because without those two things I would have been lost when it came to connecting to certain pieces of Art!
A personal narrative about learning how to appreciate art from the perspective of someone who is very new to this subject, She offers her thoughts on why artists use abstract elements in their work, and what it means to connect with a piece of artwork as a viewer. This article can be used as a model for other writers who want to comment on the subject of Art education or Art appreciation.
So as an observer does art have a different meaning for everyone? In my opinion, no! I find that it really depends on the type of person you are and how much exposure you’ve had to the ‘art world’, which consists of Art galleries and museums.
For me personally, when I see paintings, they all look like random shapes and colors. There isn’t any imagery that allows you to understand what is going on in the painting before your very eyes. Without knowing anything about each piece’s story behind it; it is difficult to create a personal connection with Art.
So let’s say you are at an art gallery and you have ten minutes to see as many paintings as possible before having to leave. I would run from painting to painting so quickly that I may not even take a good look at each one because the art is usually hanging up high on a wall where there isn’t much space to stop and really appreciate what you’re looking at.
Art without detail looks like an abstract mess that feels unfinished or doesn’t make sense which then puts me into that ‘passive observer’ category as I mentioned earlier. And as a viewer, it is difficult for me to understand how artists can create such beautiful pieces by using shapes and colors in different ways! It’s almost too abstract for my brain to comprehend, even if their work is displayed in a very simple and understandable way.
Do I think that Art is subjective? Well, yes and no. I think that not everyone gets the same message or understanding from looking at a piece of art because we all have different ways of thinking about things. For example, some people may think of love when they see black lines on a canvas while others may just see absolutely nothing!
But I feel like our past experiences and exposure to many different types of Art can help us understand and appreciate what we are looking at if we allow ourselves to do so. When I was at my local museum this summer though, it did take me quite a few visits before seeing any ‘real’ beauty in anything displayed there. In fact, it took me about half a year before I could appreciate the new wing of modern art that had just opened up.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to spend hours analyzing what each line, dot or shape means! Most viewers probably don’t even do that on a daily basis. However, being able to identify some sort of symbolism in Art makes it much more personal and gives anyone the opportunity to create their own story behind what they are looking at.
See beauty in everything
Yes, definitely! But only because I was so used to seeing it as something abstract until recently when my perspective started changing. Now that I’ve connected with various pieces of art over time, I can see how there truly is beauty in everything; one just needs to be patient and let it reveal itself.
Next time you see a painting, try to find the beauty in it! Maybe you will be able to make a special connection like I did 🙂
Remember that “There is no such thing as ‘I am not artistic’ or ‘I can’t draw!’ Everyone can benefit from art whether they’re good at it or just want to try something new. The benefits are endless.”
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Keep creating,..
