To you, What is Art? What Classifies Something as Abstract Art?
To me, in it’s simplest, most raw form, art is merely expression, and as such, it can take on so many different and diverse mediums, any the artist desires. The first person to put rock to stone was probably thought to be a madman, or a genius (though there’s not much difference between the two, to be frank), and we’ve evolved so much since those cave painting days. Everyone wants to debate about what counts, what doesn’t count as art. A perusing of the art tags on Tumblr is certainly going to confuse a lot of people, make them ask, “Why is this art, it looks stupid.” Seriously, I think all that arguing is pointless squabble. I think if the artist can invoke some sort of reaction, some emotional prodding, then it doesn’t matter, because they have done their job right. For example, my industry was condemned in its infancy because many artists believed that it was their death. The computer was somehow going to eliminate the need for creativity, or traditional skills. Well, we’re way beyond the infancy, and I can guarantee you, you can’t survive without those skills. And as studios like Pixar and Dreamworks have shown time and time again, those bits of computer information and data are just as able to punch a powerful hole in your emotions as any Monet or Warhol can. In terms of abstract art, I think what’s out there that is coined underneath that description is accurate. It doesn’t make immediate sense, but you still get a feeling from it, some sort of mood. Even if it’s unease, it’s still there.
-J
