Sunday, August 3, 2008

What is art?

There is once a very famous artist. He was walking on the streets and felt like peeing. So he went to a toilet to pee. In the toilet, he saw a very ancient, dirty, digesting toilet bowl. Normally, one will leave the poor toilet bowl alone after peeing. However, he thought it was fine art. So, he signed on it and brought it into a museum. The poor toilet bowl is still in that museum today!

There is another famous artist. He used a spade and dug a 1 metre deep hole in the ground. After he finished digging the hole, he filled the hole with what he had just dug out. One may think he is crazy and wasting his time. However he claimed that the process is fine art.

What exactly is art? Is art music? Is art a painting? Is art a sculpture? Is art literature? Is art good food? Is art an idea? Is art a person with good character? Is art crap? Is art beauty? Is art an expression? Is art a soul? Is every single rubbish we have made called art?

To a musician, good music makes fine art. However, to a cook, good music can be rubbish. Good food is fine art. Art to one person may not be art to another.

Art is everything, yet nothing. It is merely a perspective.

No comments: