Watch the Vimeo video – Adrift
Last Friday the Artist of the Day video was a beautiful video, Adrift, which shows the movement of fog in San Francisco. It was a wonderful, calm way to end the week. I realized that until seeing this video, I did not fully understand the expression “the fog rolled in”. Seeing this aspect of nature in motion is truly captivating.
I decided that morning to ask my high school students what they thought about the question, “Is Nature Art?”. I also asked them how they would define art. We had not done any preparatory discussion about these questions, but after 5 weeks of seeing various Artist of the Day videos, I thought it would be interesting to get a spontaneous response from them in regard to both questions.
The overwhelming majority of them loved the video, as did I. Their reasons were that it’s beautiful and they enjoyed the ability to see a weather phenomenon not usually witnessed in our part of the world.
I wondered how they might define art. I know that my own idea about art that’s developed over time is something I’ve heard other artists say – that it has hand, head and heart. That seems like a very succinct definition. I found my student’s responses were really lovely ideas about something that is so hard to define.
What is art? How would you define what it is?
- Art is a form of life.
- Art is something that inspires you, connects with you, is something you make, see, imagine…pretty much anything is art.
- Art is freedom of the mind and emotions.
- Art is a way of creation and exploration with colors and imagination. There is no limit to art.
- Art is something that captures expression.
- Art is something that can come from within the mind but also the heart.
- Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. (Hmmmm – perhaps this was looked up on a smart phone?)
- Art is anything that inspires, something that teleports you.
- Art is what you want it to be of your own piece of life and freedom.
- Art is anything you want it to be.
- Art is finding meaning in things; art can be anything the maker finds meaningful.
- Art is a way of expressing yourself while reaching others on a personal level.
- Art is anything that is worth noticing, and a lot of things are!
- Art is an idea, mood and character put into form, whether it’s the way someone smiles, or the way someone paints a smile. ( I love this one….)
The next question, “Is Nature Art?” was answered in the affirmative overwhelmingly by my students! 122 responses said “yes” and only 5 said “no”. Here is their thinking about it and why..
Is Nature Art? Why or Why not?
- Yes, because it has a significance of it’s own and contains basically all elements of art. I believe art may have been started from nature.
- Yes, nature is the origin of man made arts, the artistic creation of God.
- Yes, nature is art. Events like thunderstorms contain abstract events and inexplicable colors.
- Yes, nature is God’s masterpiece. He created it and it is like his art.
- Yes, it’s the best work of art because it was created so well that no one else can create or copy it.
- Yes, because some people think flowers can be art.
- Yes, art can be anything we want it to be.
- Yes, nature is the art of life, before all of the inventions and innovations.
- No, but I do see it as inspiration. Artists can see natural objects and get inspired to try and make their own art.
- No, art revolves around nature; nature is only a part of art.
- No, it isn’t a way of expressing anything. It’s natural and art is not.
- (and this in depth response…)Nature is many things. It is beautiful. It is serene. It is magical. But it is not art. Art is an applied action – a doingness, while nature just happens. It’s not trying to create – rocks are thrown around by the wind and the water isn’t able to convey the beauty of life, nor the pain of death. However, when humans are brought into the mix, we can take the randomness and turn it into meaning. The video that was shown today was very calming and beautiful; it was art whose aspect is nature. It would be in no way as powerful if you just had been looking at the fog. He had to record it, edit it, add music and so on. Raw nature isn’t art, humans are needed to transform it into something others can connect to.
Bravo my young friends! It’s wonderful to hear you ponder these big questions of life and it warms my heart to know that you recognize the power and majesty of both nature and art. How you you, dear reader, define art? What are your own thoughts about the question “Is Nature Art?”. I would love to include your ideas in this post as well….