November 8, 2005
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Topic : What is art?
THIS IS A TOPIC POST FOR THE SOCRATES CAFE BLOGRING.
Read additional topic entries HERE. Topic: What is art?
This is an edited version of and essay that was originally written in 2001 for the Philosophy page of the "Yes, But Is It Art? Gallery" on AllThingsMike.
"The Philosophy of Art" an essay by Michael F. Nyiri
© 2001, 2004, 2005
I have always subtitled my personal website: "An Electronic Experiment in Art."
Just what is art?
Art.
Art for Art's Sake
Artistic Expression
Ya gotta have 'art.
Whenever one wanders into the kitchen of a house with small children present, there are always fingerpaintings on the refrigerator.
There is freedom of artistic expression engineered into our American Bill of Rights.
World religions and cultures have always been built on a strong foundation which literally bleeds with artistic passion and pain.
Ecstasy and Elation.
What constitutes art? Art is expression. Art is creativity unleashed. From early cave paintings, through historical majesty, portraiture, landscaping, still lives, drawings, film, and yes, my beloved cartoons, art has inspired and illuminated. It has also disgusted and disturbed.
I believe in "found art", the instant juxtaposition of elements which might only exist in time for moments.
Art exists, and the artist merely peels back the layers to reveal what was there in the first place, seen only in the artist's mind's eye until it begins to take shape.
Many individuals can be recognized as "artists". Creative people create, and sometmes they invent new ways in which we look at the world. A "true artist" inspires us to greatness, and shows the face of humanity. There are many artforms, and there are masters, practitioners, and viewers of all kinds of art.
As much as I enjoy reading an insightful piece of literature, or seeing a well done film, I enjoy spending long lazy Sunday afternoons in museums and art galleries. I have a wild skewered sense of what constitutes art, and have had this crazy artistic bent for many years, inherited by my mother, whose greatest sense of artistic expression came from the analog copy/pasting she performed making felt storyboards for elementary school children and mimeographed posters for school events.
Although she wasn't amazingly talented, she was damn creative, a trait which she gave both my brother, sister, and myself. My brother Daniel is the only true "painter" in the family. Mother "created" an atmosphere of creativity. She was always involved in one school or church project or another, and both my brother, sister, and I found stimulation in this atmosphere.
I have always drawn pictures. My brother and I drew our magazines, and though we both had rather twisted senses of humor, we both practiced our art happily. Drawing came naturally, and though I haven't really practiced this art form, also known in certain art circles as "merely cartooning", for years, I do feature a few "pencil drawings" from the early eighties when I was fairly serious about these works as works of art displayed on my website.
In 1965, whilst still an impressionable young boy, I saw a photo of Edward Kienholz' "The Beanery" in Life Magazine. This photo of diner patrons with clocks for heads gave me early inspiration for the "digital composite" form of art I now practice half heartedly, and immediately after viewing the article, I composed my own "collages" from magazine photos meticulously cut out of decades worth of Life Magazines.
I have never "studied" art as I have "studied" literature, but I have read many art books, and have had epiphanies viewing paintings in museums. I favor the "Dutch Masters" who painted "life" in as realistic a manner as possible. I love Keinholz and his installation art, and admire some "pop" art. I like "realism" in art, and do not really favor the impressionists. I do love surrealism however, and am a great fan of Dali. I'm not that keen on Van Gogh. I can stare for hours at a Rembrandt. Pollack and his ilk don't do anything for me.
I have never tried painting, although my brother is a fine painter. I have dabbled in computer painting on a Waco Art Pad using Picture Publisher.
Art is a visual reminder that mankind is, if anything, a creative sort, able to use a number of media in order to make statements, inspire emotion, and invoke God and the cosmos. My philosophy of art is that it exists.
Artists are the individuals who point it out for us.
Michael F. Nyiri
Images: 1. "Art" 2004 Composite by Michael F. Nyiri, 2. "A Young Girl Defending Herself Against Eros" 1880 Bouguereau 3. "The Beanery" 1965 Kienholz (installation)
Comments (42)
art is better than the hottest pepper
That was an awesome essay Mike, and an excellent explanation of what are is to you! Loved it!
I have visited your site a few times before, and found it quite impressive. I have joined Internet Island, and am looking forward to seeing more of your blogging. This piece on 'art' is nicely done-Thanks for sharing! Have a great evening-
I did get your invitation to join Internet Island, and it is on my list of things to do. I barely have any time on the computer ... I have to fight with my kids to get any time. They say they always have "projects" to do. ha ha!! RYC: I guess my husband justifies the cost of the gas by all the money he saves. He buys several cartons at a time ... so I guess the cheaper cost/carton and the fact that there is no sales tax makes it a "deal" in his mind. I just wish he'd quit ... if I had a habit where I spent over $100/month, he'd have a fit. Not only is it the money issue, but it's the health issue. He's 50 and his health is not getting any better. He just started taking diabetes medication in addition to all his other meds. He has a poor family history of heart disease ... his dad died at 58 and he didn't smoke. So, I'm pretty sure I'll be a young (well, semi-young ... young enough to still have fun) widow!! And now he's soon going to have surgery ... oh well, I've bored you enough. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. But, it just seems silly to have to drive to another state to support a stupid habit!! Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you on the Island. (Great idea, Mike!!)
Hi Mike!
Your post is a work of art. It's interesting this idea that the art is there, but we need the artist to point it out to us. I shall have to incorporate this idea in my official "Island Intro" entry... which I plan to do Weds or Thurs evening.
BE blessed!
Steve
I love spending lazy days in museums enjoying the creativity of others. I find it soothing to walk into a building that holds so much history. I liked that you talked about the creativity and talent of your family. When I was a senior in high school, my painting instructor told me that I had a great eye for color and wonderful ideas but I painted like a 3rd grader. I still say what I did was art.
ryc: Actually, "God is Awe-FULL" has become my "signiture sermon" andI have given it in several different settings, with a universal response of... "Whoa... maybe God is bigger than I even relaized."
BE blessed!
Steve
Just stopped by to admit I didn't respond to the first Internet Island topic. . .I was wrapped up in writing a story for my blog, and it took more time than I'd anticipated. I'll do better next time. . . Take care!
And that INTENSE_Uth comment was me... as I am sure you deduced by my signiture. I forgot to log out when I updated our student "info blog"
*blushes*
Steve
RYC: Hi, my name is Christine and I'm lost in cyber space
poet, philospher, fool. a rather interesting combination.
Thank you mike! I'm looking forward to the writing
challenges and to meeting new people! I will add to
my profile description too so it tells more about me.
Thanks for posting this, Mike. Somehow, I feel that I'm posting it late. I'll come back by later to give it a thorough read. Simone
Okay, I'm back and I read your essay. It gives us a very nice definition of Mike and family as artists. But it doesn't fully answer the question, what is art? The question is an important one, the answer of which has lost many emerging U.S. artists big bucks in the last decade. Artists like Serrano and Mapplethorpe (both of which used expression and creation in their works) have shaken the foundations of the art world, leaving religious fundamentalists screaming for change. You also mentioned Pollock, whose works, at one time, were not considered "good" if art, at all. Perhaps, if we all feel we know what art IS, we might try to answer what art IS NOT. Doing so might give us a good definition. In the case of art, we can define it objectively at any given point of time. So, again, I ask the forum, what is art?
I like this post. Great points! Yea, art is an expression.
Morning,
Mike, I looked at your drawings, very good, 'me myself and I', i liked it very much.
I also like your views on what art is. We all have different ideas as to what art is.
You did a good job.. and a good job with Internet Island.
Aready I have met many new and interesting people. Loved visiting yesterday. I got offline, went back to the blogring and already there were new people. this is going to be fun.
I think Tatoo wwould have been cute standing there .. haha.
As for the news, lately I havent been watchng much. Someone said I needed a break from news, now I think the break is over though as I am, behind in world and national affairs..
Have a good day, peace and love:)
wowwww i love your xanga. awesome .......have great day
A wonderful and personal perusal of the way art figures in your life...
Sorry I haven't been around much, doing NaNo this year, and stressing over my nonexistent work situation the rest of the time...
*hugs xo
Fascinating!
RYC: Thanks for your thoughtful comments about art, philosophy and blogging. Doahsdeer is the site I use to shamelessly plug my modest success as a writer of mysteries. Jeffskills is where I recently began to post most anything else, including especially my participation in the Socrates Cafe. Thanks for the invitation to join your new blogring. I took a quick look and subscribed. I'll be back when I have more time to read.
Jeff
"Artists are the individuals who point it out for us."
I was just thinking the other day of deleting all that stuff from "way back" too. I'm glad I didn't. Again, thanks for your comments and for coming back to my site as promised. ~Miriam
Wow...I just love that...
Your whole essay is good. Not only does it defend your opinion regarding art, it lets us get to know you better as a person. Interesting.
RYC: I can not BELIEVE that you go around to every new site (or old) and read as much as you did of mine, AND write out a well thought out comment about said sites! Wow! I find that truly amazing and can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I bet you've been on the computer for three days straight! I will have to attempt to return the favor, but you have A LOT going on here, as you know, and it'll probably take me awhile.
I feel that art is the attemp at creatively communicating with anyone, short of dry dictum. Writing novels or poetry, singing, playing OR writing music, painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, dance, acting, even speaking (to an extent). This is a very, very good essay, Mike.
Oh, and I checked out your site - "Still Life With Bong" - ha! Sorry, I just had to laugh a little. That was great. Nice drawings, too.
You always seem to have something interesting and insightful to say.
John
Second time visit. The topic is a little rich for me. Love all your comments. 17,000 hits muct mean something!
Do you think that art has to be visual? Your writing is certainly art. What about a fine piece of music? A beautiful and well tended flower garden? (I guess that's visual - oops!) Your beautiful poetry? Isn't art many things? Isn't each person's answer to "What is art?" individual. Isn't it different for each of us? And isn't it wonderful when we come together and agree that something is art?
You put a lot of thought into writing this post. Very interesting about how it is personalized. I do have questions--is art only visual? Can art involve all of the senses? Can you taste art, smell art? True, art exists, but can it not also exist on a higher plane? Does an individual need to be recognized, to be an artist? Can a non-artist inspire us to greatness? What of music? What of a mother's love for her child? What of pornography? How about a cooked meal? Can art involve pain? ryc: Thank you, I did send an email to them.
I went ahead and answered your question regarding the "why" of my life. This is something that I haven't gotten into much in this blog, though in a previous blog I did discuss it.
Dears't Miche,
I just adore you for what you are. I am touched with your comments on my today's entry. I hope and wish you a healthy long life ....and may all your dreams comes true...specially that finding someone special...some people are just lucky to find them in their early stages...while some people like me, just lost that someone even before reailizing the fact that I lost it...I am single and wanted to be single as long as I can. Here in India , being single is tough thing, It's difficult to convince parents and sister about the whole idea here
. Any how I pray and wish you will get chance to meet that someone someday. Thank you for that comment! It's great to know more about you...
Sincerely,
Boogley
I seem to come across you a lot on certain sites I visit. My 2 cents about art. God, the ultimate artist, created us in His image. That is why we create, because we were created, by a creator, to be creative, like Him. Our creativity, however it manifests itself, is a response to our Creator and His creation. Even those people who do not beleive in him are responding to him with unbelief.
Very good indeed! I love your concepts of art. -jo
You always have something interesting here Mike.
I like the way you think.
Life is art, everything. Not always the best art but something is appreciated by everyone.
I checked out your new blog ring from Shara's site. I wish we could be in more than 8 rings, oh well.
I enjoyed reading this today.
I am going to check thses links of yours
Wow, I can finally load your page without a bazillion error messages and pop ups and... how cool!
Great entry here sailor!
Sail on... sail on!!!
I love what you wrote about how art inspires us to greatness and shows the face of humanity. Now I'm going to take a look at your drawings.
For me, music is the art that inspires the most. You write very well and I enjoyed reading your post
Great post.
Mike, where's the link to the InternetIsland forum? I think I deleted the initial email with the details.
Faith
you did commics?! cool! I can sketch ok, but never could make a decent thing in color.
Me, I cant stand Andy Warhol, sorry, I just have never liked him. My thoughts on him weren't helped by a 6th grade art report I had to do on him. I told the teacher I liked landscapes, and asked her for an artist's name that I could do the report on, and she gave me his. I was so p*ssed. Nowadays, I love fantasy art the best, and they get so little recognition from 'mainstream' art peeps. It's so sad, because there are some really great fantasy artists out there right now.
Left something in your guest book, laters! ~Mia
i have enjoyed reading these "pondering on art" entries, though i won't be joining your ring, mike. sadly, i'm too self-absorbed to cling to topics that make me think outside my own box.
(but it's comfortable)
I think art isn't just a painting or sculpture or the crafty stuff. In response to soonaquitter's questions, yes I think it can take on all of one's sents. Art is being able to cook a dinner without having to read the recipe or not having to worry about exact measurements (because you already know them). Art is being able to allow your kids freedom and then having them turn out just the way you wanted them to. It's being able to hear any classical song or music period and knowing what instruments are being used or the exact note a female artist hits at the end of a song. It's being able to taste that food one made and knowing exactly what needs to be added to make it perfect. It's being able to see an extremely hard math problem and being able to do it in a snap, or being able to do a crossword in a matter of minutes (I do know someone that can do it...it's kind of creepy...lol, but what am I saying I can do those cryptograms in less than 30 mins).
. I think art can involve pain as well...tattoos are art, I guess body piercing can be considered art as well. anyways, that's my thoughts...sorry it's so long. peace out and take care. autumn
You have written this very well, Mike. Art appreciation is in the eye of the beholder. I'm more inclined to be attracted to traditional art, rather than contemporary pieces. Although having said this, I do appreciate unusual art forms which reveal an interesting imagination by the artist!
I do contradict myself sometimes. 
I'll be answering your first set of "Island" questions on my Friday post.
I think that your point that talent and creativity are too different things..and that creating an atmosphere that fosters creativity is important are often overlooked. Too many people do not expereince the joy of creating art because they think they lack talent but even when this is the case there is good that can come from expressing ourselves artistically... I can't sing..but i do and with gusto..and perhaps those who hear don't enjoy...but I do.:) Mia Lucia
I like your reflections here on the topic. I especially like your statement that Art Exists~and indeed, it does. To expand, I believe Art encompasses all areas ie: literature, symphonic composition, dance, theatre, sculpture as well as visual painting. So, you, as an individual, are an artist in the realm of the written word, as I see it.
Blessings~
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