Is it art? Or is it crap?

A little discussion I had recently got me thinking very seriously about what constitutes art and what doesn’t. And “very seriously” means I thought about it whilst scarfing down the 82% dark chocolate bar I ate to keep me from eating the whole plate of my neighbor Linda’s Christmas cookies.

Marcel Duchamp's Fountain: a urinal!But back to the topic at hand: Art.

I don’t think of this as art, yet clearly it is considered Art with a capital A by Art Experts—who, when you think about it, must do a lot of soul-searching whenever they have to use the rest room.

By the way, I realize I’ve just outed myself as one of the unwashed, chocolate-swilling masses who can’t tell a urinal from a pivotal piece in art history, but as long as there is chocolate in my pantry, who cares?

Anyway. According to this quiz, I may not get confused in the rest room, but I’m not a total loss at art appreciation, either.

Screenshot of the Art or Crap quiz results

17 Replies to “Is it art? Or is it crap?”

  1. And it’s not even original. Art as a visual slap in the face has been done to death. Move on and try actually creating something that’s original and it beautiful. Much harder than sticking a urinal on display.

  2. What a hoot! I got 10/16 because my opinion kept getting in the way. I’ll take a circle of chocolate Easter bunnies as art ANY day, thank you.

  3. First time, 8-16. Ooops, let my opinion out. Retaking it was 15-16. Wow…
    Loved the choco bunny circle and consider it art.

    Glad you enjoyed the chocolate, Bonnie. I think I’d kill for some about now.

    Hope your Christmas was pleasant and joyous!

  4. Steve, yuck! I am such a doofus. I should never use “chocolate” and “urinal” in the same paragraph!

    Michelle, that’s a great observation: “Art as a visual slap to the face…” I think so, too!

    Welshcakes, and you live in the Land of Great Art: Italy! I think these “Art Experts” are noodles.

    Ms Karen: I picked the bunnies because 1) I love chocolate and 2) I figured if somebody did a urinal as art, why not do some chocolate bunnies?

    Kristen, I missed on the Brillo box. I never thought Andy Warhol was an artist on the level of say, van Gogh or Botticelli. I could never figure out why he got so much press. He’s more of a pop artist in my mind.

    tl! Why did I think you’d say that??? Heh! I bet you’re not much on Picasso, either. I read somewhere that a scribble he did on a dinner napkin fetched a huge sum of money. That’s not art!

    Bernita, What do you think of Norman Rockwell? His name was brought up during my recent conversation about what is art—the art critic felt his work was populist drivel and certainly not on the level of Jackson Pollock.

  5. I was a professional artist of yada yada number of years (a lot) before I retired and started a new career (one that did not involve scaffolds). So I’m totally biased.

    I don’t think it does us any good to define art because, seems to me, the only reason to do it is to tell someone else something they created or admire is NOT art. I think we all decide that for ourselves.

    What I tend to do is let the creator of the piece decide. If he/she says it’s art, fine. I get to say if I like it (and why or why not).

    Art’s not required to be beautiful. It often depicts ugly and unpleasant things and it does that to make us think about them from a new perspective. Some of what we think of as classic art was controversial in it’s day.
    Some art IS beautiful and speaks to our senses in a way almost nothing else does (except nature). But I don’t think ‘beautiful’art has more validity than art that isn’t–but it may factor in to whether I want to display it in my living room 😉

    “Art” is a big umbrella and I think that’s good. I don’t want to narrow it–even if it means I have to tolerate stuff that is called art that I think is disgusting, ugly, and offensive.

    Good topic, fun quiz –I got 15 out of 16 …got the veggies and dip wrong.

  6. Wow Dink! Good comment! How do you follow that one?!

    I got 9/16 I too thought the choco bunnies were art! My 15 year old took it and got 14/16!

  7. Art’s not just about being beautiful – it’s about making you think and feel. Love it or loathe it, that’s what most artists (particularly contemporary artists) are engaged in. So controversy is fine with me – there’s a reason that Picasso’s Guernica is so famous and powerful, and it has little to do with the technique he used.

    The great thing about art is that there’s something for just about everyone to enjoy. I’ve never been a fan of Warhol, but the man certainly made a lot of folks look at ordinary objects in a different light. There’s lots of art that I don’t like, and plenty that feeds my soul like nothing else can. I’m just glad to have it around.

  8. Hi Bonnie,

    I’ve said a lot of nasty things about “modern art” in my time… and I’ll probably say a lot more. And as for art critics… well, I try to be nice, so I bite my tongue.

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