Just about anything can be called art nowadays. As a child I loved doodling on just about any blank surface that I could find. I would draw eyes, geometric shapes, animals, houses, and faces. Even now as an adult you will be hard pressed to find me in a meeting where the margins of my papers are not full of random sketches, whether in pen or pencil.
I recognize that this is not fine art. Fine art in my opinion finds a way to elicit an emotional connection. This makes art subjective. I have seen paintings that are considered fine art and felt no connection at all. Sure, the skill and craftsmanship is unquestionable, but does that make it fine? I am not an expert, but a consensus from experts in the field does not mean that it will have draw the same emotion out of everyone who sees it.
I've even heard this justified by saying that people who aren't moved by the Mona Lisa just don't get it. Perhaps the thing that pulls on the emotional heart strings is more abstract, such as Picasso, or impressionistic, like Renior, or they are moved by sculptures and carvings such as Michelangelo's David. Maybe fine art for them is something created by their children, and would never be seen in a museum.
It is important to remember that each individual experiences life through their own lens. This means that the interpretation as to what is "fine" is truly up to the eye of the beholder. Let me say, I appreciate classical fine art. I even have a deep appreciation for modern art, some of which, in my opinion, far surpasses that of the "masters". The artist just haven't died yet, so no one is paying attention to them.
As a parent, I find that I am often moved more by the genuine show of affection from one of my children's drawings than I am from a gorgeous oil canvas painting. What touches my soul may not be what touches another. The key is to find the place where art touches us, and then allow ourselves to experience it. Not in a superficial way, but giving the art the opportunity to move our inner being. Once we have engaged the art on an emotional level it surprisingly becomes far more fine.
What does fine art look like to you?
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