Friday, September 25, 2009

ART

Pictographs on Newspaper Rock in Canyonlands, Utah.
Historians credit some of the etchings, through black "desert varnish" on sandstone, to those living and passing through the area as far back as 2000 years up to when the park service put up a fence to keep us from continuing the tradition of leaving messages on this rock.
It is a pretty area with trees and a stream in a small valley in the middle of Utah rocky desert (my photo); many probably wandered through in the past seeking water.
I like the guy in the middle that looks like Bart Simpson!
There is an image of a person on a horse shooting an elk or deer in the butt with a long arrow in upper right part of the rock. Horses were introduced here by the Spanish about 1650, so this etching is fairly current. It is believed that the Utes (from which comes "Utah") were the first to have the horse and by early 1700s all tribes had access to the horse for transportation or food.


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But the main question on my mind though is "what is ART?". A recent query of 27 people in Kansas City in preparation for an art fair yielded a range of responses as printed in the KC Star. My favorite was from Julie and Gary White who answered "The guy that makes those potato chips". I don't know this guy but perhaps he is Art.

Is a beautiful natural view of the moon rising over Half Dome in Yosemite ART or does Ansel Adams have to photograph it in black and white, reproduce it on paper, and hang it on the wall, for it to become art? (Is a beautiful view in the mountains art if no one sees it? -- An arty koan)

The last time I was in an Art Museum I heard no music, read no poems, saw no books , and witnessed no chimes or moving objects except for those displayed by digital expression on a screen. What to make of this?
I consider all of these expressions to have the potential to move me emotionally or visually -- part of my definition but maybe not all of it. I guess remaining would be that art would have to come from someone as an expression of their view or feel of life. This would eliminate those paintings by animal tails dipped in paint or the spinning disk with paint dropped on, at the County Fairs.
It would also eliminate nature not painted or photographed ---- which bothers me. I can find an emotional or visual response in myself with a view in the woods, not reproduced.
So, still a question . . .








"Root Ubris" by Andrey Lev
via moon river
(Oil and markers and poliontan on masonite)

I like this art because of the detail and possibility for engagement.

I shall include it in my definition

Thanks Princess

23 comments:

  1. I wonder if the prehistorics complained about their children's graffiti as we do today?

    It is my personal opinion that we are art. Life is art. We are living art. All of creation is art, and the painter is....

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  2. Its so intriguing – that image of Newspaper Rock. One wonders who they were and what they had on mind while doodling ..
    Its tough to define art.. anything which stimulates my senses is art for me..

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  3. Art, to me, has always been something that moves me emotionally, good or bad. That would include Norman Rockwell to Jackson Pollack and anything between or on the other sides.

    While my family and I are members of the local zoo and the South Carolina State museum I have yet to visit the local art museum in Columbia, South Carolina. That is something I will correct this Sunday.

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  4. In Canada, those etchings on rock are called petroglyphs and there are a number of places where they appear. No matter the name, I call it Art.

    Anything which moves me emotionally (especially Bart Simpson etched on a rock long before he came into being)I consider to be art, especially anything in Nature.

    Yet my dictionary implies that art must be done by someone. Well, I guess God is someone.

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  5. art is as old as history. it's amazing to experience both. your post always have an interesting touch goatman.

    i agree with Marion.

    God created us artistically and intelligently.

    Have a nice day!!!

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  6. when I think about this, goatman, I often find myself veering towards saying almost anything/everything is art..... (or can be art) which i'm not quite convinced is right, but....

    I love that first photo. I like the deer top right with the great long spindley antlers, and the little ladder with hands on the left.

    This reminds me a bit of this
    which is just down the road from me, by a ferry over the Thames.

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  7. Mmmmmm, good question. I don't understand modern art. Unmade bed? Dead animals floating in a jar? A scull full with diamonds?

    Mmmmm

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  8. Art is different things to different people - which is how it should be for it would be a dull world if all liked the same thing.
    However for myself I feel true art must in some way elevate our thoughts, inspire us perhaps, or offer hope.
    If a piece gives rise to dark thoughts how can that be good for us - there is enough darkness in the world already...but one that acts to raise moral, spiritual and/or cultural levels, no matter how little or how much, has surely earned the right to be considered great and beautiful art.
    Thought-provoking question Goatman.

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  9. I love art in its dofferent form..Though I dont understand abstract

    Regards

    Nasra

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  10. After all, dropping by via Janice to ... get intrigued and at least leaving a short com(pli)ment: Chapeau.

    As for your question(s): I felt immediately reminded of a remarkable plaidoyer pour l'art, posted by A Doubtful Egg.

    You might like to read it, though it's awful long, as it covers quite few of your questions.
    The peace of the night.

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  11. the prehistoric paintings are very similar to our tribal paintings...still very much painted by various tribes in india...and they are a rage...coffe mugs, wall hangings....etc etc
    art..well i think watever can be sold off a a high price..such as a wall painting or photgraph or a ethnicceramic mug is ART!!!

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  12. Thanks for your sweet comment..I got a baby girl..Hope will fill eachother's life with joy and happiness

    Hugs

    nasra

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  13. ...you must of known i was looking at this yesterday...hmmmm...it's like esp...thanks for the post...keep 'em coming.

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  14. Art is what an artist has to express in order to breathe. Creativity is in all of us.

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  15. Hello there,
    thanks for liking what i love :)
    about the beautiful enigmatic work of Andre Lev, forgive me for this mistake, I meant that the painting is made over Masonite - it is a kind of wooden chips that are being glued and pressed very strong in order to become a block like or a board of wood that is being used in furniture industry or for many other uses such as plywood

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  16. Rock gardens in prehistory as lovely as they will be in the future. A wonderful post.

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  17. Interesting!

    I work on the floor above an Art Gallery. I get to see beautiful and abstract Art all the time :) I love em.

    Keshi.

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  18. Thanks for your latest visit but sorry to say when I was editing the post it vanished. -The whole post that is.

    Did you know that Margaret Atwood has a new novel out, "Year of the Flood?" It's apocalyptical and incredible. I think I'll write a little post about it soon as I like to promote interesting literature. It doesn't seem far futuristic either what with permaculture cults arising and the 2012 prophecy.

    Well, I am off to hopefully catch some photos of big waves on the North Coast. The beach I usually go to is usually pretty tame so it should be safe.

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  19. I love Ansel Adams work. When a young girl my family went on vacations to a lot of Native American Indian reservations. There were a lot of "Graffiti" on rocks and such it was just amazing to see and witness all that..along with the starving Indians living in poverty. I will never forget what I learned there at a very young age. What we white Americans have done to the native land.

    Hey, where is that "Fall post" you promised to get on? I'm still waiting..:o)

    Rhi

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  20. Rhi,
    We used to stop at an indian village in Minnesota while going to a lake cabin to stay during the summers(Milaca). The indians would sit outside of teepees and make beaded jewelry. I don't think that they lived in the teepees; just a front for us tourists. Now the village is gone and a casino takes its place.
    I must close out the Art thing. Then on to autumn thoughts.

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  21. me too love these artworks because of the details...

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