“I’m interested in art, too!” Then…what?
A Universal, Unique, and Useful Way to Talk about Art (or Anything Else)
Nearly nobody would say “no” to art simply because it sounds shallow, but after saying “yes” no matter whether it’s true, how should we keep the conversation going on interestingly? Imagine you’re dating someone for the first time, and the conversation comes to art at some point. If you’re really into art, are you sure you want to discuss how Claude Monet’s pointillistic brushstrokes affected the later movements of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism in the 19th Century? If it’s not true, are you going to merely drop big names such as Vincent van Gogh, or a more recent one Andy Warhol to show off how many artists you know without expressing any thought-provoking opinions? Neither is a good idea.
What’s Art?
What’s Art? Most people would immediately think about the artworks exhibited in museums, sold at galleries, or traded at auctions. They are mostly ancient, expensive, and meaningful. But what’s art in essence? Is it a piece of painting, a set of sculpture, or a series of photographs? Is it actually a tool, an object, or a thought?
People learning different fields of different practices from different nations at different times in history have different definitions for art. For governors or politicians, art is a means to sustain their dominance. Egyptian, Roman, and medieval rulers created artistic manifestos to lead public thinking to support their regimes (Cooper). For the wealthy, art was a form of entertainment which gave the bourgeoise opportunities to record their appearance by portrait painting in the pre-photography era. For the general audience, art is a visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination (“art”). I finally discovered a common pattern of thought on art as an expression of primary, pre-reflective engagement with the world (Rampley). Yes, it’s still too distant and abstract.
Then…What’s Art in Life?
Engagement, according to the most comprehensive definition we conclude above, is the key of art. I can boldly say that if nobody studied history, art would never exist. The same logic also applies to contemporary art. We have to be and are constantly engaging in the world of art and are unconsciously producing art at the same time, so we can always recognize our connections with art, no matter whether we are artists or not.
First, our way of thinking is the originality of art. People on the planet are all distinct from each other, so their ways of thinking are unique, which is one of the implicit elements of art. Art should be unique, because uniqueness conveys new ideas that develop art, and all of the new ideas come from people’s interactions with the world. So, our thought is the starting point of art.
Second, the expression of our ways of thinking is the vehicle of art. Once people have some special ideas in their mind, they would express them when they get an appropriate chance to share with others. Some want to use the ideas to earn public attention, whereas others want to use them to impress a particular person, like their dating partners. In this stage, our idea has already become a piece of art in the form of a unique expression of our thought about the world.
Third, our attitude towards the world is a superior level of art. People’s attitude is the sum of the expression of their ideas. They usually do not and cannot say it explicitly by stating that, “my attitude towards the world is very positive.” No one will believe them if they don’t really think it in that way or say that statement with a frowning face. Attitude is like the abstract and intangible charisma of people because others can sense the art of their attitude simultaneously when they are getting along together. Sometimes, our attitude is more important than our expression. It’s nowhere, and it’s everywhere.
Overall, each individual is a unique artwork in the world. Instead of talking about art and articulating our understanding, we’d better think about who we are and talk about ourselves, our value, and our belief first.
Then…What Makes People an Artist?
After understanding our relationships with art, we can firmly claim that people’s existence has already become a form of art. But can we turn ourselves into real art producers, making sculpture or installations with our unique thoughts? The answer is YES. Can we dream even bigger to become influential artists, who can sell their art and make some profits? The answer is also a YES, and there is a cool way to make it come true – starting an online art business.
Online art sales business established its operations in the early 2000s, so it’s a fairly new industry (Cohen). Over the past five years to 2017, the industry revenue grew substantially, increasing at an annualized rate of 3.5% to $597.2 million (Cohen). The analysts of the IBISWorld believe that the industry will continue to grow though its rate of expansion will somewhat slow as the industry becomes more saturated and mature (Cohen). It is an excellent idea to take this opportunity for us to become part-time artists, enjoying the process of contemplating, producing, selling, and profiting from art. At that time, our experience will not only become an intriguing topic of our conversation, but also an encouragement for others to think more and do more about art and themselves.
Is art still unattainable for you? I don’t think so. If you consider other sophisticated topics such as philosophy, history, or anthropology, the same method still applies. Remember one thing, conversation should be always based on people but not the abstract objects far away from us. If you don’t know what to say, just start with yourself. People will always feel engaged when they can feel the connection or find the possibility to do something new.
Work Cited
“art.” Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, Britannica Digital Learning, 2017. Credo Reference, https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ebconcise/art/1?institutionId=887. Accessed 16 Jun. 2018.
Cohen, Anya. “IBISWorld Industry Report OD5070: Online Art Sales in the US.” IBISWorld. Sept. 2017. Web. Accessed 10 Jun. 2018.
Cooper, Daniel. “Art.” Propaganda and Mass Persuasion: A Historical Encyclopedia, 1500 to the Present, Nicholas John Cull, et al., ABC-CLIO, 1st edition, 2003. Credo Reference, https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/abcprop/art/0?institutionId=887. Accessed 16 Jun. 2018.
Rampley, Mathew. “Art.” Dictionary of Existentialism, edited by Hayim Gordon, Greenwood, 1st edition, 1999. Credo Reference, https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/gwexist/art/0?institutionId=887. Accessed 16 Jun. 2018.
A Universal, Unique, and Useful Way to Talk about Art (or Anything Else)
Nearly nobody would say “no” to art simply because it sounds shallow, but after saying “yes” no matter whether it’s true, how should we keep the conversation going on interestingly? Imagine you’re dating someone for the first time, and the conversation comes to art at some point. If you’re really into art, are you sure you want to discuss how Claude Monet’s pointillistic brushstrokes affected the later movements of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism in the 19th Century? If it’s not true, are you going to merely drop big names such as Vincent van Gogh, or a more recent one Andy Warhol to show off how many artists you know without expressing any thought-provoking opinions? Neither is a good idea.
We must admit that art is a compelling but difficult topic in a conversation. Either talking too much or talking too little would be disastrous. I, as an art student, have thought of this dilemma for a long time because it once had been the most painful question for me. Fortunately, I finally found several ways to make art a nourishing and inspiring subject in a conversation that appeals to people, and everyone can use them.
What’s Art?
What’s Art? Most people would immediately think about the artworks exhibited in museums, sold at galleries, or traded at auctions. They are mostly ancient, expensive, and meaningful. But what’s art in essence? Is it a piece of painting, a set of sculpture, or a series of photographs? Is it actually a tool, an object, or a thought?
People learning different fields of different practices from different nations at different times in history have different definitions for art. For governors or politicians, art is a means to sustain their dominance. Egyptian, Roman, and medieval rulers created artistic manifestos to lead public thinking to support their regimes (Cooper). For the wealthy, art was a form of entertainment which gave the bourgeoise opportunities to record their appearance by portrait painting in the pre-photography era. For the general audience, art is a visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination (“art”). I finally discovered a common pattern of thought on art as an expression of primary, pre-reflective engagement with the world (Rampley). Yes, it’s still too distant and abstract.
Then…What’s Art in Life?
Engagement, according to the most comprehensive definition we conclude above, is the key of art. I can boldly say that if nobody studied history, art would never exist. The same logic also applies to contemporary art. We have to be and are constantly engaging in the world of art and are unconsciously producing art at the same time, so we can always recognize our connections with art, no matter whether we are artists or not.
First, our way of thinking is the originality of art. People on the planet are all distinct from each other, so their ways of thinking are unique, which is one of the implicit elements of art. Art should be unique, because uniqueness conveys new ideas that develop art, and all of the new ideas come from people’s interactions with the world. So, our thought is the starting point of art.
Second, the expression of our ways of thinking is the vehicle of art. Once people have some special ideas in their mind, they would express them when they get an appropriate chance to share with others. Some want to use the ideas to earn public attention, whereas others want to use them to impress a particular person, like their dating partners. In this stage, our idea has already become a piece of art in the form of a unique expression of our thought about the world.
Third, our attitude towards the world is a superior level of art. People’s attitude is the sum of the expression of their ideas. They usually do not and cannot say it explicitly by stating that, “my attitude towards the world is very positive.” No one will believe them if they don’t really think it in that way or say that statement with a frowning face. Attitude is like the abstract and intangible charisma of people because others can sense the art of their attitude simultaneously when they are getting along together. Sometimes, our attitude is more important than our expression. It’s nowhere, and it’s everywhere.
Overall, each individual is a unique artwork in the world. Instead of talking about art and articulating our understanding, we’d better think about who we are and talk about ourselves, our value, and our belief first.
Then…What Makes People an Artist?
After understanding our relationships with art, we can firmly claim that people’s existence has already become a form of art. But can we turn ourselves into real art producers, making sculpture or installations with our unique thoughts? The answer is YES. Can we dream even bigger to become influential artists, who can sell their art and make some profits? The answer is also a YES, and there is a cool way to make it come true – starting an online art business.
Online art sales business established its operations in the early 2000s, so it’s a fairly new industry (Cohen). Over the past five years to 2017, the industry revenue grew substantially, increasing at an annualized rate of 3.5% to $597.2 million (Cohen). The analysts of the IBISWorld believe that the industry will continue to grow though its rate of expansion will somewhat slow as the industry becomes more saturated and mature (Cohen). It is an excellent idea to take this opportunity for us to become part-time artists, enjoying the process of contemplating, producing, selling, and profiting from art. At that time, our experience will not only become an intriguing topic of our conversation, but also an encouragement for others to think more and do more about art and themselves.
Is art still unattainable for you? I don’t think so. If you consider other sophisticated topics such as philosophy, history, or anthropology, the same method still applies. Remember one thing, conversation should be always based on people but not the abstract objects far away from us. If you don’t know what to say, just start with yourself. People will always feel engaged when they can feel the connection or find the possibility to do something new.
Work Cited
“art.” Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, Britannica Digital Learning, 2017. Credo Reference, https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ebconcise/art/1?institutionId=887. Accessed 16 Jun. 2018.
Cohen, Anya. “IBISWorld Industry Report OD5070: Online Art Sales in the US.” IBISWorld. Sept. 2017. Web. Accessed 10 Jun. 2018.
Cooper, Daniel. “Art.” Propaganda and Mass Persuasion: A Historical Encyclopedia, 1500 to the Present, Nicholas John Cull, et al., ABC-CLIO, 1st edition, 2003. Credo Reference, https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/abcprop/art/0?institutionId=887. Accessed 16 Jun. 2018.
Rampley, Mathew. “Art.” Dictionary of Existentialism, edited by Hayim Gordon, Greenwood, 1st edition, 1999. Credo Reference, https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/gwexist/art/0?institutionId=887. Accessed 16 Jun. 2018.
This is a really interesting topic. I've always been interested in art, but it's not something I bring up a lot in conversation outside of my art class since I'm not sure how to talk about it.
ReplyDeleteI thought your title is really interesting too and I'm excited to see where your expert article goes.