I know what you’re thinking. You don’t care about what I have to say about how wonderful it is to learn about art, and stare at these seemingly pointless paintings. Abstract art is ridiculous, and any child could make something just as good as these artists. All it is is throwing paint on a canvas, right? And everything the artists say about the meaning is made up. They didn’t have a plan; it means nothing. I used to have this mindset, just like you. I used to think that art was a fun thing to make, but it didn’t matter and I didn't need it for my degree.
I took Art Appreciation my freshman year of college, and at first I thought it was a joke. Appreciating art? Seriously? I’m a hard worker, and especially as a first-semester freshman, I wanted to do the best I could in all of my classes, regardless of what it was. So, I gave it a chance. Even though I had a rude professor, I was one of the only ones in the class who actually found the subject interesting, and took the class seriously. I’m about to be a senior, and I can still tell you some of the works of art we went over back from my first semester.
My roommate during second semester, and then my roommate from my sophomore year, were both interested in art. At this point, I began to appreciate it more, but it didn’t really hit me until I took Art History that this was definitely the subject for me (thank you, Dr. Pozzi-Harris). From the first Art History class I took, I realized that art has the ability to express and manipulate the way you feel, and can convey a message to help change your mindset.
Artists are creators.
Artists are trained to convey emotions. From naturalistic art to non-representational, it is all for a purpose. Even if they weren't trained in technique, they still are conveying a message (like me). Oftentimes, works are commissioned, and therefore the originality of the artist can be restricted. Nevertheless, they are still expressing a piece of themselves in their creation; and that's exactly what art is: it's a creation of the artist. Having something that you designed and can be proud of (even if you are the only one that sees the work) is one of the most amazing feelings in the world.
Art conveys a message.
Art has a purpose. Even in art that is not meant to be planned ahead of time, like with the pure idea of Surrealism, or with the babbling movement of Dada, it conveys a message. Sometimes, the work is created simply because the artist wanted to create an expression of themselves. Take Frieda for example. Sometimes, the work is created to change the region's view and to make them aware of a social situation. Sometimes, the work is created just because the artist needed the money. Regardless of the situation, nothing is made without purpose, and the meaning behind each brush stroke, the color pallet, the space, and the subject matter itself, all have a specific purpose.
Art makes you feel.
Art has the ability to make you feel something. The other day in my Art History class, we looked at a more political/social work, and the painting made me physically feel sick because it depicted rotten meat on a fork. The fact that someone painted a picture and it had the power to make me feel so intensely just by looking at it is crazy. That's so powerful -- that an artist can create an idea in their mind, display it in their work, and temporarily play with your emotions and ideas.
Art has power.
Art has the power to make a change. Social works to pop art all convey this idea of purpose and are meant to be displayed to the public. Since art conveys a message and makes you feel something, it has power. It has power to make a change. Like writing has the ability to change the reader's mind about a subject, so art has the same possibility at changing the viewer's mind.
Looking at a work of art may make you have a negative reaction to the message the artist is trying to convey, but it still did one thing: it made you feel. Once you begin to understand the creativity, the symbols, and the purpose of art, you begin to appreciate and truly understand why this creativity and self-expression is just as important as any other subject.
