Monday, May 11, 2009

Art

Photo by Max Valter, pd


To break my 10 day AMTRAK hiatus (I just rode a train to Seattle) I decided to write about a subject very close to the heart of me and many other intelligent sophsiticated snooty snubby snobby superior people, the arts.





Now, what does art do? What does art look like? What does art feel like? What does it SMELL like? Better yet, what is it?




Well, it's certainly not just that which is visual. That would disclude theater, music, literature and poetry. It's certainly not just that which is creative (as in original or unique) - that would disclude half of it. It would also include engineering, mathematics, computer programming and science by that defintion, as those are all considerably more original. So what is it?





I would say that it is that which touches the soul, makes you think, believe, strong, weak, confident, feeble, brings out parts of your nature. Some would say it would change your nature, I don't believe that - such would require something external of greater material substance then a canvas - something more on the order of a surgeons knife. But it does definitely bring out that which is hidden in our nature.





Really, I'd say art is a fisherman.