That was the topic and question of my visual aesthetics class - one of my favorite classes at SFSU. I'm still working on my own definition ... though initially I think my response was something simple like, "art is beautiful" - which certainly is not always the case - Guernica comes to mind to refute that claim. Then I moved to something like, "art provokes emotion." Broad. Is a sunset art? Or does a human element, like someone painting or photographing said sunset and then displaying the image, presuppose the title of "art?" Is a can of soup in my cupboard art? What if Andy Warhol puts said can on a pedestal ... now is it art? So what is art?
Even though I don't know what the definition of art is ... I know I live with two talented artists. Already they have very distinct styles and subject matters ... for proof here is a picture of their formerly identical watercolor paints. I'll let you guess which one belongs to each girl. Here's a hint - this is a picture of my current 'favorites' of the finished projects ... and the one who painted the image on the left has the cleaner painting pallet.Ella created this scene of blue sky, sun, rain, a rainbow, tree, flowers, and grass all on her own. Earlier this summer she painted more simple versions of this same idea ... and gradually added new elements to her paintings - like sky, rainbows, and trees:
When she first added trees, I asked her how she came up with that idea. She said, "well, when we were driving home from Achan (the grocery store) today I saw a lot of trees and I wanted to paint them." Cool.
Of course, on occasion, other subjects are painted too - thank you Disney - this is Rapunzel on the boat looking at the lanterns ... and fittingly Ella is in her Rapunzel dress.But, by and large, there is a consistent subject matter theme to the water colors Ella has created this summer. I love her art - she, like Renior - makes art that is beautiful ... beautiful colors, beautiful subject matter, and beautiful mood. She is very talented.
Of course Ella and Anne are at very different developmental stages right now - but even so, Anne differs from Ella in her art approach, and is far more interested in the process than the end result. Using the back of the brush and her own hands as much as the actual paint 'brush' are distinguishing "Anne Art" marks. She generally prefers black paint and darker colors.
Here she is in front of some of her displayed pieces - explaining why the lower right-hand image (the most black) is her favorite. She can also tell you, in great detail, what each stroke, color, and area of each painting represents - most are 'snugles' and 'cuddles.'
Initially I thought this sort of scribble painting was a cute way for a three-year-old to paint ... but as I've been more captivated by this display, I feel that it is emotion provoking art. Have you ever tried to paint like this ... I mean, since you were three? It's challenging - I can't. I've tried ... I get frustrated that it "doesn't look like anything," and then throw it away. Even Ella tried, on her own once, to "paint like Anne," but she too became frustrated and went back to drawing rainbows, flowers, trees, and a sunny sky ... to what she was familiar with.To create something like Anne creates, I think takes courage - the ability to express yourself, or an idea, in a way that isn't obvious to every potential viewer, or even yourself. You have to let go of your ego, and just express, without fear of what the end result will (or won't) be. I wish I could express like this - perhaps that is why Anne's display provokes such emotion in me - it's a symbol of what I can't do (yet) because of social norms, or individual limitations, and expectations. I know this may sound a bit over-the-top theoretical ... after all, just let the girls paint! She's three! Don't apply (or create) meaning where it may not (or doesn't) exist! ... but I think that's the purpose of art and my working definition of it: A human created thing that provokes emotion and the potential to edify.
Thank you Ella and Anne for your inspiring, and emotion provoking art - I am edified because of your paintings.
