Is this Art?

To me, many things can fall under the category of art such as; paintings, music, sculptures, drawings, fountains, plays, other performances, and etc. For something to be considered art in my eyes, it needs to fall under a few guidelines. The first is that the work was made with skill or with great talent. In other words if I can make it, it is not art. The work has to be detailed and may or may not have a message. I feel that a work that has a message behind it is a more powerful and impactful piece than one without a message. This message can be one the artist wants to express, but a message can also be interpreted by the audience, even it is different than the message in the artist’s mind. But then there are works that are just meant to attract the human eye with beauty. The work has appeal to the human eye, which does not necessarily mean it has to be “beautiful”. I enjoy the art of optical illusion, which is not always beautiful, but I find to be very skillful and interesting.

There are also a few things I feel a work does not have to fall under to be considered art. The first is that a piece can be created by someone who is not a “professional” artist to be considered art. My next-door neighbor who is twelve can draw some of the most amazing realistic pictures I have ever seen. She is not a professional artist, she is a seventh grader. Also, a work does not have to be worth a large sum of money to be considered art.

Below, are two examples of art that I have come across on the internet. The first on the top is a piece that I would consider to be art. For starters I myself could not paint such a realistic and detailed image. The artist clearly has great talent. I do not believe this piece has a message, so I would say it is just one of those pieces of sheer beauty. The second piece, on the bottom, is a piece that I would not consider to be art. There seems to be no pattern of any sort or image. It just seems to be paint randomly scattered on a canvas, with little or no skill involved. This looks like something that I am capable of producing. I do not take away any message from this piece.