What is Art?
When people hear the word “art” the typical reflexive implication is often something to look at—an idea of visual creation such as painting, sculpture, photography… With a bit more consideration this extends to things like creating music and films which clearly have an artful essence with any such enjoyment accompanied by palpable passion.
But these things can be done in ways that are not considered artful and there are countless other focuses which, upon seeing someone practice in such a way, inspires to say that there is “an art” to what they do: the way someone dances with graceful elegance, the way nascar pitstop mechanics change wheels with utmost efficiency, the way a group of people engineer a technological device to accommodate tasks with seamless intuition… When someone does something masterfully and creatively, they are considered an artist. Is there really anything that cannot be done in an artful way?
There are also many instances of creations which seemingly attempting to find the edge and stretch the idea of “anything can be considered art”. Objects and paintings which most people would pass off as mundane and uninteresting, yet framed in such a context to declare it as art. I’d say these pieces exaggerate the aspect of art residing in perception—an absolute reliance on personal significance to be formed with whatever is being observed. It’s almost as valid as something on the other end of the spectrum: a creation which is technically and calculably perfect and meaningful, yet absolutely meaningless to the observer. The thing about such a creation is that it may have legitimate usefulness despite a lack of recognition, like an efficient water filtration pump sustaining the life of someone who doesn’t even realize the water they drink would otherwise be toxic…
So what is art?
A common thread weaved through all artful endeavors is a consideration of intricacy—how various dynamics interdependently shape the form. To delve into the details of what makes something what it is, to the extent that the components are orchestrated with intent. It’s a practice of developing awareness of the subtle changes which define a form. It’s common for a novice practitioner of any mechanism to “push the levers excessively” because the subtle little differences aren’t as apparent and thus, not as stimulating.
Going more deeply into an art—acknowledging and studying how various components shape the form—leads to realization of further reaching interconnectivity. There are the primary factors, shaping the creation which is the focal point, but each of those factors are shaped by other influences and even the creation of focus goes on to affect other things—not just physically, but also influencing perception, generating ideas which lead back into alternate manipulation of physical forms.
So when I say I’m an artist, while I have my common focal points of practice, I mean to say that I indulge in careful consideration of detail and follow trails of interconnectivity. There is no particular aspect of this existence off limits to this mindset, only various concentrations considered more interesting or worth prioritizing. Ultimately, an artist is the art and everything they give sufficient attention to becomes an extension of artistry. The performance transpires through the entirety of how life is navigated. If I don’t give integral parts of my life sufficient consideration and practice, other parts of my life are affected. As with all things, it’s a balancing act.
