Art?

This post was originally in response to a thread in a CTU forum covering Arts and Entertainment. The top of the thread was, "Is art a necessity or a luxury?"
I felt compelled to post this because I was gassed by all the moronic answers to that question. It just kills me. I wish I could share all of those but I think it would be illegal to do that.


Hello folks,

Well, since we all can make some sort of claim to art, whether we know that or not, I have to comment on this thread.

I wonder how many people have ever looked up the definition for the word "art". The idea of describing or defining it is like one man, using only his hands, trying to hold a hundred pounds of oiled and loose ping pong balls all at once. Even the scholars have a hard time defining it. The best and most relative definition I can find is "skill in conducting any human activity".

I do have a background in some fine arts, from music and dance to crafts such as ceramics but was any of that necessary? That's a big NO!I didn't have to do those things. None of those things by themselves sheltered, fed, or even helped with either. Were those forms of art a luxury? That's a big YES! I was afforded those things as was my mother, as was those who afforded it to the schools where she honed her skills. It took lots of money. Sure, I can pick up a few twigs from the woods and fashion them into a functional or visually enhanced object, and that would be art, but to who? The next man might be about to freeze if he doesn't build a fire, so my "art" quickly becomes a tool for a real necessity. I said all of this to scratch the surface of why I think it is a ridiculous question.

The real question is whether or not art is in everything or in nothing. I say it is in everything instead of a necessity. So how can I identify art? Let me count the ways. Art is the way a person operates though it may not always be evident. I could spell my name by painting the wheels of an 18 wheeler and driving backwards in a small parking lot. I have seen people talk others into things I can't imagine doing myself. My wife is a work of art. She does such an amazing job keeping the house clean, going to school full time, doing her job bookkeeping in the home office, and home schooling the kids. Who dares say that these things are not artful? So then, we all express art somehow, even if it is figuring out a way to do nothing, and trust me, that IS an art for some.

In closing, I suggest that claiming art, or "fine art" is merely a sophisticated way to try separating yourself from the common man, or it is another way of saying there could possibly be someone who is not an "artist". To me art is not what we see on many college campuses and municipal lawns. These resemble the most useless, indescribable, and expensive stack of manipulated metal or concrete which pays tribute to only itself. Art is useful. Art is a method. Art is priceless. Art is simple, true, and absolute. Art is because the Creator is.

With Respect,

DCW