The many faces of art
To write about something of infinite possibilities
is an appropriate subject to the begin
the school year.
We enter the year with ideas of what is and could be: homework, fast food, books, classes and parties. But by the end of the year, our experience has usually turned into something we didn't intend. Perhaps you met a boyfriend or girlfriend, you're now on the honour roll, or you've decided to switch programs.
Just as it is with the school year, the meaning of a piece of art is difficult to define while it's being created, as the intention invested is not always the meaning taken away from it. It's after it's finished that we can look at it and decide what it means to us.
Art has served many purposes over the years. From a pretty picture of a pear to a severe political message, there is always a reason it was created, either personal, or societal or functional. After all, that's why people create anything. Your parents changed your room into a home gym because Mom felt like she would have time to get in shape now. You decorated your locker in high school because it made you feel like an individual in the sea of students. Similarly, royal families would hire artists to paint pictures of lavish things like silk, gold chalices and religious symbols to remind the civilians that they are powerful and should be idolized.
Some people paint to calm themselves. Others draw a certain picture to learn a specific artistic skill (like sketching a human body to learn about anatomy). The Bauhaus School in Germany created unique home appliances that emphasized the beauty of utility, and Ikea now draws inspiration from them. Often, what was intended in their creation is no longer what they represent: the lavish royal portraits are no longer symbols of divine power, their meaning has taken on a different hue in the modern age of democracy, the Bauhaus designs are starting to look stale, in need of Ikea's revision to stay chic, and your mom's gym is now a constant source of guilt from lack of use. Meaning changes as time goes on, however intention is a necessity to qualify as art.
Life itself can be a form of art. Every time you buy a new shirt, choose which job you want to take, form an opinion on a subject, doodle outside of the margins of your notes, you are making a decision and painting what you want your world to look like. It has never been any different for the musicians, visual artists, dancers and writers. Art is orchestrating creation; its significance is up to the audience.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
We enter the year with ideas of what is and could be: homework, fast food, books, classes and parties. But by the end of the year, our experience has usually turned into something we didn't intend. Perhaps you met a boyfriend or girlfriend, you're now on the honour roll, or you've decided to switch programs.
Just as it is with the school year, the meaning of a piece of art is difficult to define while it's being created, as the intention invested is not always the meaning taken away from it. It's after it's finished that we can look at it and decide what it means to us.
Art has served many purposes over the years. From a pretty picture of a pear to a severe political message, there is always a reason it was created, either personal, or societal or functional. After all, that's why people create anything. Your parents changed your room into a home gym because Mom felt like she would have time to get in shape now. You decorated your locker in high school because it made you feel like an individual in the sea of students. Similarly, royal families would hire artists to paint pictures of lavish things like silk, gold chalices and religious symbols to remind the civilians that they are powerful and should be idolized.
Some people paint to calm themselves. Others draw a certain picture to learn a specific artistic skill (like sketching a human body to learn about anatomy). The Bauhaus School in Germany created unique home appliances that emphasized the beauty of utility, and Ikea now draws inspiration from them. Often, what was intended in their creation is no longer what they represent: the lavish royal portraits are no longer symbols of divine power, their meaning has taken on a different hue in the modern age of democracy, the Bauhaus designs are starting to look stale, in need of Ikea's revision to stay chic, and your mom's gym is now a constant source of guilt from lack of use. Meaning changes as time goes on, however intention is a necessity to qualify as art.
Life itself can be a form of art. Every time you buy a new shirt, choose which job you want to take, form an opinion on a subject, doodle outside of the margins of your notes, you are making a decision and painting what you want your world to look like. It has never been any different for the musicians, visual artists, dancers and writers. Art is orchestrating creation; its significance is up to the audience.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
