james Ruddle
@thejamesshow
WHat Is ARt ?
What is Art? In my opinion as an artist, which seems not to matter sometimes, this is a question which is very difficult to answer. When looking at the history of art, what is and is not art is something which has been raised many times. Does the public decide what is or isn’t art, or is this question left to be answered by artists and or, art critics and art teachers? For years and years to come, this question will be the major one in the art community as new style, techniques and medias continue to emerge. despite what the majority might believe about art, this question can only be answered by the individual.
What is Art? It is not so simple that Webster can define it, but it seemed simple enough that I could define it for myself. what is art to me? I set aside the past past two years to discover the essence of ART. Each time that I believed I had a simple answer to the aforementioned question, I was proven wrong or disappointed. Spending hours standing as statues, living in a BOXes, making environments and making interactive machines, I found myself questioning my answers to “the Question”. I have not found an answer that can be written in stone, but I have traveled an amazing journey to come that much closer to the answer in which I am looking for. What answer is this do you ask?
Art is for the people! Art is not a product for other artists with snobbish ideas of art, yet it is for the people made by the people. We are not super human intellectual but regular and many times smart people. Thus, we need to stop thinking of ourselves as gods and above the rest because we have creative gifts. I feel it is my job as an artist to make a “spectacle” of art yet not to make it something only intellectuals can understand but for everyone to enjoy. As artists it is our job to show everyone that we are not all high and mighty and to good for non artists. We must educate the general public and show them what amazing things we can do and accomplish. Therefore, when concepts alone are to much for the average Joe blow, one must use his skill as a sculptor, painter, printmaker or performance artist to get “the message” across. Accordingly, the more ways and media one uses to send a message the better. In addition, it is key to understand the response and reactions an art work conveys and the amount of people it can speak to. For this reason it is important to create art work that is not only for the gallery but also for the streets and public places.
What is Art? In my opinion as an artist, which seems not to matter sometimes, this is a question which is very difficult to answer. When looking at the history of art, what is and is not art is something which has been raised many times. Does the public decide what is or isn’t art, or is this question left to be answered by artists and or, art critics and art teachers? For years and years to come, this question will be the major one in the art community as new style, techniques and medias continue to emerge. despite what the majority might believe about art, this question can only be answered by the individual.
What is Art? It is not so simple that Webster can define it, but it seemed simple enough that I could define it for myself. what is art to me? I set aside the past past two years to discover the essence of ART. Each time that I believed I had a simple answer to the aforementioned question, I was proven wrong or disappointed. Spending hours standing as statues, living in a BOXes, making environments and making interactive machines, I found myself questioning my answers to “the Question”. I have not found an answer that can be written in stone, but I have traveled an amazing journey to come that much closer to the answer in which I am looking for. What answer is this do you ask?
Art is for the people! Art is not a product for other artists with snobbish ideas of art, yet it is for the people made by the people. We are not super human intellectual but regular and many times smart people. Thus, we need to stop thinking of ourselves as gods and above the rest because we have creative gifts. I feel it is my job as an artist to make a “spectacle” of art yet not to make it something only intellectuals can understand but for everyone to enjoy. As artists it is our job to show everyone that we are not all high and mighty and to good for non artists. We must educate the general public and show them what amazing things we can do and accomplish. Therefore, when concepts alone are to much for the average Joe blow, one must use his skill as a sculptor, painter, printmaker or performance artist to get “the message” across. Accordingly, the more ways and media one uses to send a message the better. In addition, it is key to understand the response and reactions an art work conveys and the amount of people it can speak to. For this reason it is important to create art work that is not only for the gallery but also for the streets and public places.