We all love some form of art, whether it is paintings, sculptures, music, writing, or acting. But what actually makes any form of art “good?” Paintings by Dali, Picasso, and Van Gogh, writings by Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Vonnegut – we’re all told these things are good, and some of us have even taken the time to look at and research their work. But what makes all of these works good to us? Do we say they’re good because we honestly think that what they’ve created is a true “work of art” or are we persuaded to like their works because of outside influences? Are we, ourselves and our interests, products of our upbringing and those we choose to surround ourselves with?
What makes something “good?” Do we admire a good work of art because we know it took the artist copious amounts of time and effort to produce it? If that is the case, then Fifty Shades of Grey is an amazing work. And if we think about it that way, it really is amazing according to many Americans who supported the work enough for it to become a movie. But according to others, the book is nothing more than smut that only sold well because “sex sells.” Are those people too critical of the work because it became popular? Or do they not like it because they don’t see it as “good?” And if they don’t see it as “good” then what is “good” to them and why is it that way? Yes, of course we all have different tastes, but why do we agree on certain “good” pieces of art and not on others?
How influenced are we by those who are held to high-esteem as a critic? If your favorite art critic liked a piece, how often do you think you would agree with them once they pointed out all that was “good” about the art? I know I’m guilty of doing this when I watch one of my favorite music reviewers review an album that I have been eagerly anticipating. Because of his review, I come to find that I actually enjoy certain albums that I didn’t think I would. Did he influence me to like it, or would I have grown to like it regardless of his review? If I would have grown to like it, would I have liked the same things that the reviewer pointed out? What if I eventually forgot all of the things the reviewer said about the album? Will I eventually grow to hate it just as quickly as I came to enjoy it?
In 1964 a man named Ake Axelsson executed a hoax in which he enlisted the help of a chimpanzee to create various works of art for him. Axelsson gave the chimp the pseudonym “Pierre Brassau” and showed the chimp’s (whose real name was Peter) four best pieces of work to different art critics. “Pierre’s” work was praised for how it was created and for how delicate the brush strokes appeared. The chimp’s work was passed off as some form of avant-garde/abstract works of art. Would you have believed a chimpanzee painted the work that a critic said was “good?” What if it was never discovered that “Pierre” was really a chimp? Would the art still be considered good because of what critics say? Critics critique movies and television shows all the time, and there are plenty of people who would agree and disagree with what they say. We must continually think and ask ourselves what good art is and what influences us to believe that it is good.
If art conveys emotion, does that automatically make it good? If the answer to that is yes, then almost every painting I’ve seen has been “bad” in my eyes. Because to me, different art styles convey different things, and as long as something was created for a purpose or reason, I consider it art. Good or bad? I’m not entirely sure, because I am still bouncing off thoughts in my mind of what “good” and “bad” art is. I actually can’t even say that I think art is art when it is created for a purpose or reason, because sometimes the reason is “no reason” and that is a reason itself.
My point is not to answer why art is good or bad. I want to ask questions and then ask more questions after I have the answers to the others. I want to understand what it is that makes art “good.” I love the arts, any form, and I would love to deepen my understanding of why I enjoy many of the forms of art that I do. I’m sure there are many people who would love to know the same things. Art brings the beauty out of everything. Whether the thing is love, death, happiness, or heartbreak, all forms of art carry these emotions and experiences. It is up to the artist themselves to convey those emotions and experiences accurately, if they even want to. This has not been easy to think about, and I myself am left with more questions than answers. Regardless, I hope the conversation may continue and I hope that you and I will learn more about what art is, if “good” and “bad” art even exists. Maybe some of you will take the stance that everything is just subjective and too much thought into this topic a bad thing. There are enough thoughts about this subject to fill a book with (and i'm sure there are plenty published about the topic), but for now I will keep my questions.
