Through the ages, the topic of art has always been one that has been met with a lot of criticism and debate. This is particularly true with the more modern artists. It seems that the general public tends to be at odds when it comes to the artists that should be venerated and the ones that should have been ignored.
A lot of modernistic art pieces have been quite dubious at best. For example, there was a pair of glasses that were left on the floor of an art gallery and people honestly thought that it was ‘art’ or part of the exhibition. Another such example would be the night janitress who mistakenly threw away an art installation simply because she thought it was garbage left on the floor.
More often than not, there is no longer a standard on what is considered to be good art. A lot of this, most people blame, quite conversely on the subject of technology and innovation. The popular mediums of art were paintings and sculptures which were shaped out of marble or clay. In today’s world, pretty much anything is considered art.
To be honest, a good way to determine what good art is would be through these small little parameters:
Engagement
Art, in its purest sense, is made to convey a message or to provoke thought in the viewers. If a piece of art is enough to make you stop in your tracks and consider whether there is merit in the art—then it has accomplished its job.
Art is meant to arrest an individual and captivate their attention. Whether that attention is positive or negative, it doesn’t really matter. Art is the catalyst for thought and conversation—for action and introspection.
Passion
One of the reasons why the arts of the masters were considered to be so good was because you can feel the absolute passion of the artists pouring forth from their chosen medium. The same was that performance arts can evoke a reaction out of you because of the inherent passion that is carried and cultivated underneath.
Passion is a key ingredient for art. If you cannot feel anything from the art piece—not even the intent—then you can actually say that the piece is flat and will require further work.
To Wrap Things Up
Whether or not an art piece is going to be considered ‘good’ is often subjective. There could be a piece that is celebrated by critics but panned by other artists or art lovers. The funny thing about art is the fact that most people generally attribute ‘good’ art to the pieces that were produced by the great ones like Michelangelo and those that came in his time.
Do you share the belief that art is overrated? What are your parameters for ‘good’ art?