What Do You Like About Art?

[Madame Adequate]

Art is one of our methods for trying to understand the universe, and to express ourselves within it. Art is a defining characteristic of intelligence, in my eyes. At the least, art should be something aesthetically pleasing. At its utmost, it provides a perspective and an understanding for people. Sometimes it also serves a very pragmatic purpose, such as a building or metro system.

I don't know if I could really choose some art I love more than others, though I have a fondness for architecture. It just feels that if, for instance, I name music, I overlook literature.

I do have a fondness for architecture though.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eep_Towers.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...skayaKL-mm.jpg

And what I really love is when an art movement has impact in many media forms. Art Deco comes to mind;
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Hall_-_001.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...door_sedan.jpg
http://popsci.typepad.com/photos/unc...07/08/22/1.jpg

The one thing I really love about BioShock is how it uses Art Deco and how much it adds to the game. I'm hard pressed to think of a better setting; the best I can manage is an alternative equivalent, basically an art movement which espouses technology, efficiency, etc. I do so wish games would take their art direction cues from other sources. There is a distinct absence of, say, Socialist Realism as an art style.

[Miriel]

nik0tine, even your example of "good" modern art is trash in my opinion. I just don't like or understand most modern art.

Fair enough. This artist does have a history of being not liked, I guess. I do believe the Nazis went as far to burn his work for being 'degenerate' in the second world war. However, I don't think it is disputable that this painting is at least better than that stupid star spangled ice cream cone.

However, isn't Alexander McQueens work a prime example of modern art? I guess you were careful to say 'most' modern art.

I kind of art I like best is either beautiful or moving or both.

This is really what to look for, imo. I am a little surprised that you don't find the Kandinsky painting to be at least pretty, though.

I'm not sure what the actual definition of modern art is (I dropped out of my art history classes in college, couldn't stay awake!) but my idea of modern art is basically anything that has splotches or random blocks of shapes with no real representation of anything. McQueen's haute couture work is fantastical and extravagant and reminds me of garments you'd see worn be Queens and Kings in another world. That's why I like it. The example you posted to me are just lines and shapes, I really have no clue what it's supposed to be. :o

[RedPouch]

I'm not really sure, but I believe that painting is just meant to be something interesting to look at. I personally don't get much out of it, but I can easily see a lot of people finding that painting interesting. Some people like to stare at things and look at little details, even if they seem random. I used to do this a lot when I was a kid with the ceiling in my room, and try to make shapes/faces/objects/etc. out of it, I'd always see something different. I don't think it's quite the exact same with this painting, but I'm sure someone could just look at it for long periods of time and be entertained by everything in it. Is that painting done directly on canvas, nik0tine? I'm sadly rusty on my art history knowledge, but I'd assume it was. If so, then what's interesting about this picture is how everything is layered out, it can seem random to many people but you can tell that there was actual planning and thought put into it.

Again, it's really not my kind of painting, but I can still see where someone would hold a lot of value to it. I also think there's no question that this painting looks a hell of a lot more interesting than that statue head thing with the ice cream cone.

[I Took the Red Pill]

I think that amongst all the nihilistic sentiments of meaningless, the fact that a musical composition, a painting, a novel, a sculpture, the fact that art can stir up something intangible and undefinable called emotion in my breast

is pretty kewl

[Shiny]

there are no restrictions in art.

What utopia do you live in?

The one in my head where my art truly comes alive. I realize there are rules against what you can do in art and what you can't do, but it's not like you still can't do them anyway. I was watching Tosh.0 and there was a guy on there known for taking risque photos of nude women in public places. He went to the Metropolitan Museum and took photos of women who stripped for him. They told him to get out, but he still took the picture. As long as you can think it you can do it. The only true restriction to art is what you prohibit yourself from doing. :shiny:

I don't think he meant the actual literal definition of art. I'm pretty sure he just meant that restriction is a defining principle.

She.

[RedPouch]

She.

Oh, sorry. I thought nik0tine was male.

[Shiny]

She.

Oh, sorry. I thought nik0tine was male.

Oh wait, nevermind. My b. I thought you were referring to what I said. I'm so used to people calling women "he" on this site it's ridiculous.

[RedPouch]

Oh wait, nevermind. My b. I thought you were referring to what I said. I'm so used to people calling women "he" on this site it's ridiculous.

Oh haha. Actually I assume most people are straight males unless they assume otherwise. However, I used to think that Momiji was female because they only used a bunch of cute anime girl avatars.

[nik0tine]

I'm not sure what the actual definition of modern art is (I dropped out of my art history classes in college, couldn't stay awake!) but my idea of modern art is basically anything that has splotches or random blocks of shapes with no real representation of anything.

This is my idea of modern art, too and I also do not know the technical definition of 'modern art'. Scrumpleberry seems pretty certain that anything created nowadays is not modern art, though, so I'll just believe her.

I think Khalin is right when he says that the painting doesn't mean anything specific. Art doesn't have to express a specific message though. This is most strongly evidenced by music, especially instrumental music, which holds no literal meaning at all.

Is that painting done directly on canvas, nik0tine?

Honestly, I do not know. It was not made with a computer, if that is what you are asking. I don't really know anything technical about the visual arts at all.

The one in my head where my art truly comes alive. I realize there are rules against what you can do in art and what you can't do, but it's not like you still can't do them anyway.

This is true. There is really only one rule in art and that is the rule of good taste. However, having no restriction in your art leads to art made in poor taste more often than not. Rules are made to be broken, especially in art, but if you don't break them intelligently it will be a disaster. Most artists I know personally break rules because they are too lazy to learn them and then they hide behind the 'It's art I can do whatever I want!' nonsense when you tell them what they made sucks.

And yeah, just for the record, I am a guy.

[Madame Adequate]

Yeah I don't know what that drivel is called, because actual Modern art ended in like the 60s or 70s iirc. And it contained stuff that's actually good, like Andy Worhol's stuff.

[Rye]

I really love art and I'm fairly interested in art history, or at least some of it. I like photography the most, but I'm love impressionist art. It looks like the brushstrokes are made of tiny hints of a picture that make something come together. When I took college-level art, I did my portfolio is a semi-impressionistic style.

[Imperfectionist]

I think that good art should almost be like a language on its own. It should communicate its ideas, or lack thereof, in a way that words could never accurately convey.

Take, for example, the Kandinsky piece. We're all taken in or confused by it, but we're not sure why. We can't put it into words, but we know that by looking at it we get some feeling from it. I think that's truly skillful.

[Rantz]

I think that amongst all the nihilistic sentiments of meaningless, the fact that a musical composition, a painting, a novel, a sculpture, the fact that art can stir up something intangible and undefinable called emotion in my breast

is pretty kewl

Yer, this would be the core of it for me.