What is Art?

Nina from Nature Remains wrote a post this week called "What is the Nature of Art?". The answer was a quote by L.A. Seneca that says, "All art is an imitation of nature."

While in New York City The Becka and I visited the Museum of Modern Art which is in the vicinity of the Rockefeller Centre. My father's parents were artists and Grandad T. had an art shop north of Toronto. Many beautiful framed oil paintings of landscapes, still life and portraits filled the floor space. For me, art was humanly created, recognizable beauty. The MoMA stretched the definition of art to the beyond the limit for me. Even my artistic daughter found many of the displays difficult to comprehend.

Light was the medium for many exhibits. In the first picture, yellow light absorbed all other colours leaving everything below appearing black and white.


The light on the left shone in a mirror and the reflection made a perfect circle. Amazing!! In the same room a Kodak slide projector clicked through blank frames automatically shining white rectangles across the room. Astounding!! The rotating prism was more interesting as the colours on the wall changed with the progression of the colour spectrum. There would be no need to paint the walls if you owned this nifty unit.


Many everyday objects such as dishes, kitchen tools and a helicopter were there to be admired. Some artist redefined the ceiling fan. In a large room, a regular fan was suspended by a chain from the ceiling and it swung in a large arc in the space above viewer's heads. You can see the couple gazing in admiration at the work of the creative genius whose work we know must be art because it is on display in New York.


Another room had displays of crocheted and knitted objects. My sister-in law Shirley as well as Ruthie from Nature Knitter have created many fine pieces that should be in the MoMA . And I do think handwork like this is art. Other exhibits seemed to be creations of seriously disturbed and/or perverted individuals while others looked like nursery school art or the doodles I draw when I am in boring meetings.

We had just completed a tour of Radio City Music Hall with its classy Art Deco interior and spectacular stage before coming to this museum. Perhaps I was tired or somewhat out of tune that I did not really appreciate much of what I saw in this art museum. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.


Going back to Nina's quote, I can see art in nature all the time. This Osprey nest is as intricate and useful as the crocheted blankets in the MoMA. And it was made with only a beak and dried sticks.

And the combination of light, air and movement made the clouds of an approaching thunderstorm look stunning in the sky yesterday.

We also went through the Metropolitan Museum of Art which is on the east side of Central Park. This was a more traditional art museum and the displays were far easier for me to understand and enjoy. I do enjoy the effects of light, shape and colour and admire those who can paint and sculpt and weave. My camera is the only tool I can use to create my own art...something of beauty and meaning to me.

How do you define art? Perhaps you have an idea that will make you famous...something worthy of a space in the MoMA. My niece Melissa commented on one of the pictures I posted on Facebook from this museum...

...apparently I've only been one shot away from artistic fame my entire life....I've got a nice pink fan in my room; think it's too late for me to become an artist?