We all had those alphabet picture books when we were young, the ones that taught us A is for apple and B is for ball. Well, I've decided to make my own mini-series of blog topics using that same idea. I'm starting with a somewhat broad topic, but I would love for you to comment and let me know your opinions on this.
When one thinks of art, the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" comes to mind. Earlier this year, I visited a few art galleries and cathedrals and had the chance to see a few "masterpieces." As I looked around me, I wondered, what exactly makes these paintings so great when compared to others. I compared Picasso's Guernica to Velasquez's Las Meninas. I compared the works of Dali to the works of El Greco. I began to wonder who exactly deemed these paintings great and others inferior. I realized that Velasquez had painted for royalty, as had El Greco; moreover, Picasso's and Dali's works were most popular with the rich and famous. In fact, Dali designed a custom apartment for the famous American actress Mae West. I am not discrediting the fact that it took years of work and a large amount of talent to create the paintings, sculptures, and other works that they did; however, I wondered if it was the rich that deemed them masterpieces. After all, Las Meninas, one of Velasquez's most famous pieces, was a portrait of the daughter of Spanish royalty and other members of their court.
Today we have professional art critics whose tastes and opinions on what is considered "true art" surprises me. Consider photographer Terry Richardson, who posted crude and sexist photos of himself and a model on his blog. This was deemed art and so very creative. How is this possibly art? This takes no talent on his part! Yes he is a high fashion photographer; however, I find this to be more playboy than vogue. Look up any of his pictures and they all look the same.
All right, enough ranting. The idea of what is beautiful has changed drastically as time has gone on. In the Renaissance, plumpness was considered beautiful, and still is in many countries; however, fashion now finds being thin and waif-like beautiful. My main point is that, if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, who is to say that art is art, for isn't art an expression of beauty and feeling?
When one thinks of art, the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" comes to mind. Earlier this year, I visited a few art galleries and cathedrals and had the chance to see a few "masterpieces." As I looked around me, I wondered, what exactly makes these paintings so great when compared to others. I compared Picasso's Guernica to Velasquez's Las Meninas. I compared the works of Dali to the works of El Greco. I began to wonder who exactly deemed these paintings great and others inferior. I realized that Velasquez had painted for royalty, as had El Greco; moreover, Picasso's and Dali's works were most popular with the rich and famous. In fact, Dali designed a custom apartment for the famous American actress Mae West. I am not discrediting the fact that it took years of work and a large amount of talent to create the paintings, sculptures, and other works that they did; however, I wondered if it was the rich that deemed them masterpieces. After all, Las Meninas, one of Velasquez's most famous pieces, was a portrait of the daughter of Spanish royalty and other members of their court.
Today we have professional art critics whose tastes and opinions on what is considered "true art" surprises me. Consider photographer Terry Richardson, who posted crude and sexist photos of himself and a model on his blog. This was deemed art and so very creative. How is this possibly art? This takes no talent on his part! Yes he is a high fashion photographer; however, I find this to be more playboy than vogue. Look up any of his pictures and they all look the same.
All right, enough ranting. The idea of what is beautiful has changed drastically as time has gone on. In the Renaissance, plumpness was considered beautiful, and still is in many countries; however, fashion now finds being thin and waif-like beautiful. My main point is that, if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, who is to say that art is art, for isn't art an expression of beauty and feeling?
Las Meninas
Terry Richardson's Photography
loved reading this :)
ReplyDeleteloving the blog
stop by some time xx