Art - What is Art?

Art … what is art?
The dictionary’s definition states that Art is the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

Is it really? There have been a lot of different views about what constitutes art. I have seen pieces considered art selling for outrageous sums and I must say that there nothing being aesthetic, beautiful, or appealing about them. But appreciation of art is subjective and cognitive to one’s own perception.


Today I read an article about Damien Hirst’s sale of his diamond encrusted skull for an outrageous price of $100M and it revolted me. In my opinion how can this man be considered an artist? How can a pickled half of a cow or a shark in a tank of Formaldehyde be art? I guess Oscar Wilde’s quote “To be popular one must be a mediocrity” applies on this one.

The ‘Artist” says that he was inspired by an aztec turquoise skull mask that now resides at the British Museum. The museum supposes that the skull represents Tezcatlipoca the creator god and it is believed that it was sent as a tribute to Moctezuma the Second. I am not going to dispute the experts, but IMHO the mask most likely represents Mictlantecuhtli the God of the dead who ruled Mictlan “The underworld”.

A true artist for me should make one see beauty in ways that they could have never imagined. There is no planning, no blueprint, no brainstorm just stillness and purity of the mind to erode away the grime of every day’s life.


My top ten pieces of Art:

1. Auguste Rodin “The Gates of Hell”
2. Paul Gauguin “Tahitian Women on the Beach"
3. Antonin Dvorak "The Noon Witch"
4. Shah Jahan's "Taj Mahal"
5. Salvator Dali "Dream"
6. Monet "La Promenade"
7. Nora Naranjo-Morse "Khwee Seng"
8. Giacomo Puccini "Nessum Dorma" from Turandot
9. CS Lewis "Til we have faces"
9. Rokuon-Ji's "Kinkaku-ji"
10. Roman Loranc "Bare Trees by the river"