Do you have to "know" art to have an opinion?

 

Do you have to "know" art to have an opinion?

Who can say if art is good or bad? 

Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash

I had a discussion the other day with a coworker.

She said, "I don't know anything about art!"

That made me so frustrated and a bit angry.

What the world has done to us.

We have "to know" to have an opinion.

An elitist way of looking at the world.

And don't think she is alone in that opinion.

And it is a bit sad.

First of all, what is the definition of art?

To use https://www.britannica.com/art/visual-arts is the definition:

art, also called (to distinguish it from other art forms) visual art, a visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination. The term art encompasses diverse media such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, decorative arts, photography, and installation.

So now you know that, at least.

I was curious to see what chatGPT would answer to the question, "What is the definition of good art" and here is the answer: Defining "good" art is subjective and varies depending on personal tastes, cultural and social contexts, and the purpose of the artwork. However, there are some common qualities that are often associated with good art, including: Originality: Good art is often characterized by its uniqueness and originality. It may offer a new perspective on a topic or challenge the norms and conventions of its genre. Skill: Good art often requires technical skill and expertise, whether it's in the use of a medium or the execution of a particular style or technique. Emotional Impact: Good art often evokes an emotional response from the viewer or listener. It may inspire awe, wonder, joy, sadness, or other feelings. Meaningful Content: Good art often has a message or idea that is communicated through the work. It may tell a story, convey a moral or political message, or offer a commentary on society or culture. Relevance: Good art is often relevant to its time and place, reflecting the concerns and issues of the society in which it was created. Ultimately, what constitutes "good" art is subjective and depends on the individual viewer's experience and interpretation. However, these qualities are often associated with works that are widely regarded as masterpieces or culturally significant.

I don't like the painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci (britannica uses a photo of that painting), it is true, I don't, and it is one of the most famous paintings in the world!

It doesn't appeal to me at all, I think it is quite boring, a portrait of a "mysterious" smiling woman. I don't say it is bad or not art, but it is not appealing to me at all.

Then it has an interesting history, but that is history, not art, or to be clearer it is art history.

Leonardo da Vinci does not give me much vibes at all, Michelangelo I like a lot on the other hand. They lived almost the same period, but for me they paint in a very different style.

Still it is my opinion, not the truth.

Art has to do with emotions, whether you like it or not, to make it simple.

You can't know anything about the intention the artist has unless you ask him or her. Often people read something into an artwork, that is nice and ok, but that is their feeling and thinking about the artwork.

Not always the intention the artist had, but it gives that person a certain feeling.

And that's enough.

You can learn to think in a way, by reading about it, but that isn't your feelings. It is the writer's feeling.

You can learn to " think right".

But something is missing, though.

Your feeling.

There is nothing like good or bad art.

You don't have to be an expert to like something or not.

Even if you don't like it, you still have your feelings, and that is something.

No one can say, that is art, that is not art.

But you can say, I like it, I don't like it, neither is wrong.

Art is only about your feelings and emotions. Nothing else.

Not others' feelings about art pieces.

That is learning, and something else.

So never say you don't know anything about art as long as you have feelings.

As long as it triggers something inside you, you "know art". At least your feelings about it.

But never, I can't say it enough, NEVER say that is art, that is not art.

No one can.

Art isn't about the price tag.

That is about investment.

Not art.

Often that money doesn't end at the artist. 

Who perhaps needs them most, to survive.

The money the art piece is selling for isn't always a definition of "good" art, but rather a speculation of art made by a named artist. 

We, humans, have the ability and need to be experts at something, even in art and music and books or whatever.

Someone gives a review of what is good or bad in a paper about those subjects, and sometimes that becomes the truth in everyone's mouths.

But one person's feelings or emotions can't be yours.

So to respond to the title of this article, no one can say what is bad or good art. 

Only you.

Tired of social media and want to learn something new?

Photo Viktor at picjumbo

Do you sometimes, like me, get tired of Wednesday's dance, cats, dogs, or whatever there is on social media and particularly TikTok?

There is an alternative for you to take a break from all the stuff that appears and pecks at attention and steals a lot of time from you scrolling through, sometimes for hours.

It is called Mix and is an app almost like TikTok in its execution but with more educating content.

You can see art, photos in different areas, design, hbtq related, hobbies, science, and from almost whatever you are interested in.

It is videos, photos, and articles with more educational content, presented in a fun way.

You can as in TikTok scroll through and watch directly, or save them for a later watch.

Give a thumbs up, or if you have to, a thumbs down (if you need to be negative, I prefer to leave it).

Give it a try and perhaps learn something new, get some perspective, and save yourself from TikTok for a while. I do so when I get tired of the sometimes repetitive stuff there is.

It is called Mix, as I wrote before, and you also avoid all the tiresome advertising there is on other social media.

Has NFT grown out from a criticism of the art world, a brief explanation of Non-Fungible Token

 

Photo by A O on Unsplash

 

On Instagram, I often receive subscribers selling NFT, most of which I ignore and I scroll down to the next view. 

I didn't think about what it was, I just noticed it and scrolled. But after a while, I began to wonder what it was.

I decided to find out more about this.

This is my understanding of the NFT and you who are unfamiliar, which you can read later.

You who already know what NFT is can stop reading now, this article is for those, like I have wondered what it is but haven't taken the time to google it. Therefore, it is probably too basic for those who are already dedicated to the topic.

NFT

The NFT began around 2015, but it got off the ground in 2020. However, it was only in 2021 that it truly took off, when Jack Dorsey sold the very first tweet for $3 million.

And that's where my brain starts boiling. Something that is not real, is worth something like art.

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, and that makes it clearer, right.

An NFT is a unique digital expression of a  work of art. Non-Fungible, also means that it is unique and cannot be substituted for anything else.

NFT works the same way as crypto tokens, but unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, they are not interchangeable and thus not fungible. Whereas all bitcoins have the same value, each NFT is a different underlying asset and therefore has a different value. The cryptographic transaction procedure provides a digital signature that is used to follow the NFT property, ensuring that each digital file is authenticated. .

The possession of an NFT does not automatically confer copyright or intellectual property rights to the digital asset it represents. While someone may sell an NFT representing their work, when the ownership of the NFT is changed, the buyer does not always obtain copyright powers, allowing the original owner to manufacture new NFTs of the same work. In this regard, an NFt is essentially proof of separate ownership of a copyright. In most cases, consumers of NFTs do not obtain the copyright on the underlying work.

An NFT can be stamped (for example enrolled on a blockchain) from nearly anything: Twitter's Jack Dorsey sold the very first tweet he composed for $2.95 million a photograph of Queen Elizabeth or any digital work.

WHAT IS AN BLOCKCHAIN

Blockchain is a data logging process that makes it annoying or hard to change, hack, or cheat the framework.

A blockchain is a computerized record of exchanges that are copied and transmitted throughout the organization of PC frames on the blockchain. Each square of the chain contains different exchanges, and every time another exchange occurs on the blockchain, a record of that exchange is added to each member's file. The decentralized information base overseen by numerous members is known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).

If hackers wanted to corrupt a blockchain system, they would need to change each block in the chain, across all distributed versions of the chain.

NFT AND ART

An NFT photo of Beeple (artist Mike Winkelmann) landed at Christie's, sold for $69 million, which, by the way, is $15 million more than the painting of Monet Nympheas sold for 2014.

The NFT market experienced quick development during 2020, with its worth significantly increasing to $250 million. In the initial three months of 2021, a bigger number than $200 million was spent on NFTs.

In the early long periods of 2021, interest in NFTs expanded after various high-profile deals and workmanship barter.

I interpret that as a critique or a way to illuminate the sick art world. Value matters more than what the artist seeks to say or express. And the money doesn't always end up with whoever made the NFT in the first place.

So is it art?

I have no idea. 

Yes in a way, art is what you call art, as long as you have an audience that likes it or has any sort of response.

But to me, it's more speculation and another cryptographic currency.

It is accused of being another speculative marketplace. 

In March 2021 Mike Winkelmann called NFTs an "irrational exuberance bubble". By mid-April 2021, demand seemed to have decreased significantly, leading to a significant price decline. It may be used for money laundering as well.

Cryptocurrency and NFT are large consumers of energy. Elon Musk has stopped selling Tesla for Bitcoin, because of the high environmental impact.

The annual usage of the evaluated power of Bitcoin for 2021 is 128 terawatt-hours. That's more than the whole Argentine country uses in a year.

A few late NFT advances use optional approval agreements, such as evidence of interest, which have far less energy use for a given approval cycle.

ARE WE SURE THE NFT IS NOT A FLEETING TREND?

Opinions differ on the subject. Christie's contemporary and post-war art specialist, Noah Davis, says the outcome of Beeple's $69 million auctions "is an appropriate tribute to the important digital transformation that took place at Christie's. And just as our business has evolved, so has the way in which art is being made. Today’s result is a clarion call to all digital artists. Your work has value. Keep making it.”

And, of course, digital artists are thrilled with this new way of marketing and selling their work. But not everyone believes that. Drew Olanoff, a writer for TechCrunch, is suspicious. “As someone who collects physical items like sports memorabilia, I get the allure of ownership and exclusivity, but the hype around NFTs has been fast and furious,” he said. “There is a lot of ‘get in now to get rich fast or be left behind' fandom. The potential upside [is] for artists, but I don't see it for consumers yet.”