What is art?

[Michael-Patrick <M-P@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Neil Koven wrote:
> 
> >Neil Koven wrote:
> >>
> >> OK, so I took the easy way out and copied a bio I use when I have to give
> >> talks or give out at exhibitions.
> >>
> 
> ..and Michael-Patrick responded...
> 
> Hmmmmmmmm...... is the gauntlet down????
> 
> >>His sensitive photos...<
> >
> >Neil, "sensitive"?, as in easily offended?
> 
> No, not if someone can back up their criticism or alternate opinion.  In
> fact, quite the opposite--I enjoy an exchange of ideas, and especially so
> when all parties are liberal enough to accept new or differing ideas and
> concepts.  And that, obviously, includes me as well.
> 
> >Or, good listeners when you
> >have romantic problems?
> 
> It's by listening well and with a certain amount of empathy that I'm able
> to interpret ideas and concepts.
> 
> >Do they also have a good sense of humor,
> 
> Yes, I have a good sense of humour, and have written--and
> published--several articles that have what I hope is a Dave Barryesque
> approach.  ('course it helps when you're editor of a newsletter)  Also got
> a lot of favourable comments on what I wrote, i.e. that people enjoyed
> them.
> 
> if so
> >and they are male photographs then they are just the kind of "guys" I
> >understand most women want to meet.
> 
> I'm not sure what a "male photograph" is as opposed to a female one.  I
> could be crude here, but I don't want to offend anyone else who may (may?)
> be reading this.
> 
> Yep!  That is EXACTLY the kind of guy most women want to meet.  It works
> better than "Hey Babe, wanna watch the game and suck back a brewski or
> ten?"
> 
> Just kidding Neil, how are they
> >"sensitive"?
> 
> >
> >michael-patrick
> 
> OK, fair enough.  (BTW, that was first said about my work by someone at one
> of my exhibitions--I just kept the phrase)
> 
> As artists, we all see life not as black and white, but as a multitude of
> greys.  There are spins on everything.  And we can interpret what we see
> however we want.  Check out my web site and look at some of my images.
> "The Last Chord", for example.  There's a piece of burned music, some dried
> (ergo dead) flowers in a vase, and even some of them have dropped to the
> charred music sheet.  A recorder sits on it...with no sign of any living
> human.  What story can you conjure up to explain this? It's the last
> chord...it's burned (but not completely...a sign of hope?), implying that
> someone gave up playing the recorder...or making music...for whatever
> reason you wish to bestow upon it.
> 
> Pick any of the images--or any of your own--and look at it and tell a story
> about it.  How would you describe it to a blind person?  How would you
> describe a ballet to a blind person?
> 
> I've always loved art, and I could never find an all-encompassing
> definition of exactly what art is.  But several years ago, I came up with
> this one:
> ART is a portrayal of emotion
> GOOD ART is ART whereby someone else can ascertain that--or even
> another--emotion
> GREAT ART is GOOD ART coupled with the skill of the craftsman
> 
> I welcome your--and everyone's--comments
> 
> ..Think I'll get off my soap box and go suck back a brewski...
> 
> PS, in case it wasn't clear, I took no offense whatsoever at M-P's
> comments, questions, or observations.
> 
>             ///\\\***///\\\***///\\\***///\\\***///\\\***///\\\
>         NEIL KOVEN, ARPS                     Eleventh Hour Images &
>         31 Moncton Road N.E.                 Neil Koven Photography
>         Calgary, Alberta, T2E 5P9            bus/res:(403) 276-6335
>         email: kovenn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx          fax:    (403) 276-2152
>              http://www.cadvision.com/Home_Pages/accounts/arps
What is Art indeed?  A good question for a desert island.  Another one,
are all photographs art, even if they are well done are they always art?

What makes a photograph art, what makes it not art?

Some would say that ART begins with the intent to communicate, or simply
with the intent to make art, but as we know that is not always so.

m-p

------------------------------

Topic No. 3