Most art is obvious, it is in your face, it shows and glows, and is clear what the message is. But not all art is that way. I like to think of this as "Unseen" art. Messages that you might pass by 100 times and not see anything of interest, then it hits you. It suddenly makes you smile, you wonder how could I have missed that? Is it really intended to make me feel this way? Do others feel what I feel when they look at this?
Maybe this is the difference between looking and seeing. Looking is a physical process, seeing is interpreting what we are looking at. When I look at the image above there is a rather nondescript painted surface and what is probably an electrical outlet. When I see it, the eyes, the nose, and the circle creates a smile for me. If the artist was just plastering around the outlet the opening would probably be rectangular, making it round, adds a layer of meaning for me.
Take time this week to look around for art in unexpected, maybe even accidental art. You will smile at what you see.
It it me, or is this art.
I would say so by the intriguing little face at the base of the work. It makes me wonder.
ReplyDeleteIt is smiling at you.
DeleteJust tape a banana to the wall.
ReplyDeleteThen it would be worth millions.
DeleteI'd call it art ... it moved you, didn't it? I think that's what art does.
ReplyDeleteIs there such a thing as accidental art?
Delete"The difference between looking and seeing" -- yes!
ReplyDeleteLike the difference between hearing and listening.
DeleteA while ago, I photographed the paint peeling off of an electrical box. The gray paint and the rusty surface beneath looked like art to me. I never posted any of those photos. I should dig those out.
ReplyDeleteI love urban landscapes and ruin-porn.
DeleteWell, I didn't see the little outlet at first and thought the art you were talking about didn't load for me so I refreshed the page and saw the same big gray rectangle. I finally looked closer and saw the little outlet you mentioned but it took me a while to find it!!
ReplyDeleteIt is subtle, and probably not very apparent on small screens.
DeleteArt is everywhere! It just depends on how your brain sees it and how you interpret it. Wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteAs long as its not ballet or opera. That crap is a dying art. *smirk*
ReplyDelete