Who Defines Art?

In high school, my art teacher used to tell us a story about the artist Duchamp. During an open call for art work way back in 1917, Duchamp sent in 'Fountain'. 'Fountain' was actually a urinal.

Yep- a urinal. I think that he signed it using a fake name. Either way- the gallery thought that it was trash, not 'art', and threw it away. A piece of art- gone. Because someone decided that urinals are not art.

My teacher used it to explain that just because *we* don't like something, does not mean it's not art. There is a lot of artwork that I can appreciate- but frankly, it's not my style. I love Monet's work- I love the colors, the fact that he didn't use black, the way that he would paint the same scene, over and over again, playing with the light. Years ago, I saw the Monet exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago- breathtaking. I think that I sat in front of the Waterlilies paintings the longest.

But- there are just some artists that I really don't gravitate towards. The surrealists- not exactly my style. The interactive art pieces that just leave me wondering 'what the?' That's not to say that I don't consider them art- they just aren't my style.

I love art. I love to look at it, and I love to make it. I'm crafty- to me, that's art. I love to paint, to photograph things, to draw, to sketch, to manipulate photos... In high school, I had my art teacher take digital photos of myself for me to play around with. I cloned my nose over my eyes, cloned my mouth over my eyes, and just had fun. Those pieces hung in the school's art show that year- my mother said it was 'disturbing' (and what, a two headed cat trying to break into two cats isn't disturbing? (I sculpted that one sophomore year)).

You can't claim that something isn't art because you don't understand it or you don't think the medium is acceptable. Digital art is still art. Digital scrapbooking is still scrapbooking. Artists try to stretch the boundaries of art all the time. Look at Monet- he actually went so far as to completely and totally eliminate a color from his palette. Look at his later works- there is no black. Look at Duchamp. He took something that is merely 'everyday', turned it on it's side (or was it upside down? Can't remember anymore and am too lazy to look it up). It's art- but it is art that was thrown away by the gallery that he sent it to.

It doesn't matter what other people think of digital scrapbooking. As long as you are happy, and you consider it art, then that is what it will be.

Art.