Sketchbook Assignment 1

Art to Me

My assignment is to represent what art is in my world. (I'm paraphrasing there.) To me, the best art tells a story instead of simply representing an image. I'm very interested in the concept of 'place', so part of the story should be an interpretation of a place, either a specific place or a situation our culture recognizes (in the movie theater, at the zoo). A good piece of art to me will also represent time, culture, history and other elements of the story.

Photo: Margaret Montet

Here's an example from my photo files: This image shows a group of Mummers performing in the Philadelphia Mummers Parade on New Year's Day 2012. The colors of the silly costumes and the flying confetti in the photo tell the viewer right away that this is a festive occasion. Some of the Mummers (those with purple hair) are dancing, while others are playing saxophones. Check out the purple-haired guy on the left: he's airborne! Behind the colorful performers, there are spectators in more sedate colors, many of whom have smiles on their faces. One guy has climbed up to a window perch to get a better photo. This piece of my own art is one of my favorites because the information it conveys recreates in my mind the sights, sounds, mood, and spectator's experience at the parade. A viewer who has not experienced the parade would probably get a good idea of what it is like by looking at this photo.

Art to me can also be an aesthetically appealing representation of form, color, and texture. I'm a quilter, so I will use quilts as an example here. The quilt designer puts fabrics with varied elements together in a satisfying, clever, or exciting way, and adds stitching and sometimes dimension to enhance the texture. Even a traditional pattern can be exciting art if form, color, and texture are used in an innovative way.

Quilt and Photo by Margaret Montet

This quilt is an original design, made from Japanese and Japanese-inspired fabrics. The lines of orange, blue, and pastel triangles pop out of the blander blue background. This took some time with a design wall to get just right (for my eye). Notice how the quilting in the lower left mimics a design in the darker blue, and creates a different texture than the plainer quilting in the rest of the quilt (which shows in this photo).

Art to Others

I frequently hear observers of art defending a shocking piece of art by claiming that since it evoked a response from the viewer it is therefore art. I don't subscribe to this philosophy, at least I don't think a reaction by itself designates a work as 'art.' At the same time, even if my reaction to the piece is negative or uncomfortable, I can agree to call it art if it has some original design, construction, form, color, or texture created by a person.

Marcel Duchamp, 1917; Fountain; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, ARTstor ASFMOMAIG_10312704641

First let me say I usually 'get' Marcel Duchamp. I live near the Philadelphia Museum of Art where there is a fine Duchamp collection, and I find myself explaining his philosophies of art to perplexed companions. I have a hard time appreciating the "Readymades" as art. For example, I can't accept the urinal turned on its side and re-named a fountain. The bicycle wheel on a stool, okay, because it is a combination of two elements and I see them as a new entity. The snow shovel: no. The urinal/fountain: no.