Art is But a Name

Art is but a name with many different meanings. One art instructor sums it up by saying art is:

 “Based on esthetics, the act of original creation, by manipulating a medium of public objects or events that serve as deliberately organized sets of conditions, having a definite beginning and end, for an experience in a qualitative mode” (http://www.artsjournal.com).

Art is based on the feelings an individual person receives when looking at something, whether it is an object, painting, sculpture or many other things. Where one person sees art, another may see nothing at all. Do these two paintings make you feel the same, and do you consider both art? 

What once was considered art could change in meaning. Certain events may change the perception of others and what they see as art. In the book An Artist of the Floating World, by Kazuo Ishuguro, the main character, Mr. Ono, has first hand experience with this. Ono describes an artist’s motive as “An artist’s concern is to capture beauty wherever he finds it” (172). Ono had started out painting things like:

Which are beautiful in his own eyes.

This type of could be seen to many people as art. There are so many colors and details. When you look at it, you can see each figure as an individual because of the different kinds of clothing and actions. Ono reasoning for this art was only to show what he feels is beautiful to him.

With WWII came a change in Ono’s paintings. Ono had the right intentions when he switched his painting style. With these words from Matsuda “In times likes these, when people are getting poorer, and children are growing more hungry and sick all around you, it is simply not enough for an artist to hide away somewhere, perfecting pictures of courtesans” (173) Ono’s obligation as he saw it, began to change.

Before Ono left the villa he said to his Sensei “I have learnt much in contemplating the world of pleasure, and recognizing its fragile beauty. It is my belief that in such troubled time as these, artists must learn to value something more tangible than those pleasurable things that disappear with the morning light. My conscience tells me I cannot remain forever an artist of the floating world” (179-180). With these feelings in mind, Ono set out to help. He painted these “propaganda” type paintings with only his best intentions.

They may not look like art to others, but to Ono, they served a valuable purpose. If Japan had won the war, if this man shown in the painting had a major role in winning the battle, this painting would then be considered art. Let’s use Vincent Van Goh as an example. If he hadn’t passed away, his paintings would not have been famous. When he was alive, no one valued his works. After his death, his paintings had a major influence on the 20^th century artists, and he was considered the pioneer of expressionism. Back to Ono, because Japan lost the war, people did not see Ono’s paintings as art and they even looked down upon it. If the outcome of the war was different, Ono’s paintings may have a different impact on people’s perceptions. 

       According to the definition in the beginning of my article, BOTH of these paintings are considered art. If they are “good art”, that is based on the viewer to decide. Before making a decision, good or bad, a viewer should take the time to learn the background of the artist, why the artist created the piece, and what it means to the artist. After that they are free to come up with their own idea and feelings for the piece. Like they say "BEAUTY (art) IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER".