Museums are odd places aren't they? When I've asked people whether an art museum is more like a library, an entertainment venue, or a church. Almost everyone I've asked responds with "church." Our culture treats art objects with such veneration. They are put into special formal buildings where we are not allowed to touch them. We are told that the works in museums are often worth more money than many of us will make in our entire lives. Many of the older objects we understand, for many of them really are beautiful and if they aren't then at least they are antiques and part of history. The problem often comes in when we start dealing with more contemporary art.
Often we encounter something strange and we get confused, maybe even angry. "This is art? I have no idea what this is supposed to mean! It doesn't look like it took any skill to make at all! It doesn't look like what I think of when I think of art. Yet there it sits, whatever it is, and it's worth a lot of money and it's in a special building." Our culture is telling us we should like it. Or at least understand it. And we don't. So we might feel a little... stupid.
Yep I said it. Museums can make you feel stupid.
And many people think they don't like art because of those kind of introductions to it.
I want to reiterate one of the things I said in my introduction. I'm not here as an authority to tell you what you should like. The class is not an indoctrination.
It is also not an Art History class. We're not here to review the often amazing accomplishments of the many great artists of the past. There simply isn't time to do it justice. But context is important so we will touch on historical things from time to time.
So what is this class about then? I hope to help you develop your critical thinking skills regarding art. I hope you will learn through example and discussion, different ways of thinking about what art is and what it maybe can be. I want you to develop confidence in your own opinions about art. If you decide after careful consideration that you don't like something, I want you to be able to say why outside of "I don't like it."
Your opinions do matter, and are just as viable as any art expert. And with a little practice you can learn to talk about art in an educated and confident fashion. By the end of the semester I hope you will feel comfortable in the world of art, wherever that world may intersect your life.
It's really important, therefore, for you to express your opinions honestly and thoughtfully during our discussions. You also need to be prepared to have your opinions challenged or to clarify them where necessary. That means you have to delve into your opinions and tell us the reasons behind what you think, don't assume your reasons are obvious.
It's also important to read things charitably. Because of the nature of online discussion we are missing some critical cues that help us know what someone means when they speak. We don't have tone of voice, facial expression or body language, which is almost 50% of communication according to some experts. Remember that the tone you hear in your head may not be the tone the author intended to convey. Read everything in the kindest light possible. There are definitely some touchy issues that we are going to discuss in here so we need to be thoughtful about how we respond. However, that does not mean that you shouldn't challenge ideas you don't agree with. You may attack ideas. You may not attack people. If you're unsure about something, ask me privately.
The artists that I've chosen to discuss throughout the semester are mostly contemporary artists and I want to explain why. First, these are the artists of our world right now. Their work emerges out of the culture you live in and so, for the most part, you already have context for it. These are artist who are trying to say things about the world you live in. Second, many of these artists are pushing the boundaries of what we think art can be, as artists have done throughout history, and so they provide us with lots of potential for discussion. Third, their art is just plain challenging to interpret and to understand.
You don't have to like any of them. But if you dislike them, you have to give real solid reasons for why that is so.
Question 1 - Give me an example of something you think is a good work of art
Criteria - As a note, this question is all about what you think is good art, right now, at this time and place in your life. We all know and accept that different people think different things are good, in art and everything else; no word limit and no page requirement.