The Art of Collecting Lightbulbs

Before reading this chapter, I did not think that having a collection could be considered art. It never struck me as a form of art. But art, "for some is making, for other it is having." Immediately after reading this chapter, I started to think if there was anything I collected. The first thing that came into my mind was snow globes. I love collecting snow globes. Any time a family member, distant relative, or friend goes somewhere I have not, been I always ask them to pick up a snow globe for me. Right now, I have over 45 snow globes. I don't think that I would be a "snow globe enthusiast" as Hugh Francis Hicks was with lightbulbs, and I certainly don't think I would go and steal snow globes as he stole light bulbs. Before this chapter, it was a simple hobby, but calling it an art brings a different light to it. Maybe it's not really art. I'm not putting them on public display, at least not now. Who knows what the future might bring?

The Art of Making Art Without Lifting a Finger

This chapter brings a very question important to my attention and to all that read it. What is art and what should we consider art? It's a coincidence that I read this chapter shortly after STAC discussed if Pollock should be considered an artist. Art doesn't necessarily need to have a particular meaning behind it but there should be some meaning behind it or a specific intention by the artist. Ray Johnson's constant love, for the lack of a better word, of the number 13 most likely has a meaning behind it. It's not known to us, his friends, and maybe not even to himself. We won't find out now because he's no longer living but chances are if asked why he loved the number 13 so much, he could justify it. A lot of the process of considering what is art is the artist being able to justify it being a work of art. If you can justify it, then perhaps it is art. Sometimes even a work justified as art may not be a work of art. The "process" of what we consider art is very complicated and not set in stone because there are so many different forms of art, it's impossible to create a universal system to call a work art.

The Art of Having a Lofty Perspective

"So how to define the beautiful?" How does one really describe what beauty is? This chapter obviously speaks a lot about beauty, both in life and art. People have attempted to create a rational answer, like the Greeks, but is there really one? Who is to say what is beautiful and what isn't? Beauty is really a social construct. Beauty changes over time and it changes depending on where you are in the world. Society could easily change the meaning of the word beauty. What is beautiful now probably wasn't considered beautiful a hundred years ago. Our version of beauty, as far as fashion goes, leans more on the scandalous side a hundred years ago. As far as beauty in nature goes, it depends on the person and the time. Some aspects of nature are lovely to some and atrocious to others. But then again, who is one to decide what in nature is or is not beautiful?

The Accidental Masterpiece: The Art of Being Artless

One line stuck out to me as I was reading this chapter. "Painting will change your life." I was never really fond of painting. I was always told that I was never much of an artist and that stuck to me in a sense. I never bothered to paint or draw or anything in the fine arts field. But then I was introduced to splatter painting and that changed my life. I had finally understood the joy of fine arts and I was really into it. I wouldn't consider pursuing it but it's a nice hobby. It numbs my mind, I stop thinking. I'm the type of person who constantly thinks and this is the one and only fine art that does that to me.

Bonnard's Life Script

Pierre Bonnard

 I like the piece to the left because it has a serene feel to it. The way the sky is painted is interesting to me, I like the way the colors blend together. The blue water also stands out to me. The water to the right is distinctly blue but the farther left it is, the clearer it gets. Water is also something that fascinates me. I've always enjoyed water fountains and the ocean so it's no surprise to me that my eyes are drawn to the water.

The piece to the right is to my liking because it has a very child-like feel to it. It reminds me of a child's fantasy world. I believe it depicts an actual place. I wonder if the painting is of a place Bonnard was fond of at some point in his life, maybe even his childhood if he intentionally instilled this piece with a child-like feeling. All the vibrant colors reminds me of a fantasy world where everything is fun and nice. There's something comforting about it, something very warm and inviting.

I've noticed a common theme: every piece that I have chosen of Bonnard's work has water in it. I did not intentionally pick them for this reason though. The piece to the left is to my liking because I like the way the ocean is drawn. It looks almost as if two oceans are mixing together as the ocean is painted two different colors. There's so much more going on in this painting but I can't stop focusing on the water. The way the waves are drawn also fascinate me. I couldn't explain why even if I tried.

The Accidental Masterpiece: Intro

There was one part of the introduction that stuck out to me in particular. "One of his [Dr. Hick's] daughters recalled patients abandoned in the dental chair with peroxide still bubbling in their mouths." Dr. Hick was a dentist who had his own little museum full of lightbulbs. I find it absolutely amazing how someone can be so excited about their art that they completely forget everything that's going on around them, like his/her patient for example. Everyone should be just as invested in their art for this scenario to occur. That strong of a passion is something everyone should have about something. It doesn't have to be art related. Everyone should have something that they're that passionate about that they'll forget their patient in their dental chair with peroxide in their mouth or some other extreme variation of that scenario.