6 - Brielle Friedman - Definition of Art

Art does something. It evokes a feeling, an idea, a memory. It can be beautiful or it can be aesthetically displeasing, even unpleasant and disturbing. But it must be passionate. Art is what we stay alive for; it reminds us that we are part of the human race.

I feel that the definition of art is very personal. Though I feel a piece of art must do something, what it does can be very different for each person. It can make one person angry while simultaneously making another person happy. What the eye sees or ear hears - whether it be a dance, performance, painting, photograph, sculpture, or music - and how it perceives those forms of art, is always heavily influenced by past experiences, values, and personal opinions. The painting I have posted here, of Edgar Degas's Group de danseuses (1884/1885), not only resonates as art in my mind because it is beautiful to my eye (I love the cool shades of blue and soft brush strokes - it produces a calming sensation of peace and happiness whenever I look at it), but also beacuse it engenders my own memories of dancing, especially as a young child, and to me that is beautiful. The photo entitled, Napalm Attack, taken by Nick UT during the Vietnam war is also a very powerful image of what art can be. Although it is upsetting and horrifying, and exposes the pain and horror of the kind of suffering humans are capable of creaing, it has a harrowing impact. Because this image is so powerful, and evokes so many emotions and questions, it is art.