Good Art vs. Bad Art

I don't believe there is such a thing as good art or bad art. Artists portray their thoughts, feelings and personal observations through their artwork. To me art is like beauty...it is in the eye of the beholder. I may look at a work of art and walk right past it and there may be someone else who cannot take their eyes off of it. Below are my personal thoughts.

What is good art? In my opinion an artist has to have amazing talent to portray what they see to the eyes of the world. Two of my favorite paintings include Leonardo DaVinci's the Mona Lisa and Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night. The Mona Lisa portrays a beautiful woman with such poise; and who could not be be intrigued by those piercing eyes? The Starry Night was Van Gogh's view from his sanitorium window. The Starry Night shows peace and simply a beautiful night. I think Van Gogh portrayed what his heart saw that night. I love art from the time of the Harlem Renaissance as well - those vibrant colors and story-telling paintings, drawings and collages.

What is bad art? I will never forget my experience with what I consider to be bad art. A few years ago, my cousin and I were strolling in the city. All museums along 5th Avenue were permitting you to enter with a simple donation. The line to the Guggenheim Museum was unbelievable. Of course, my cousin and I made the line. The structure is amazing and breathtaking. At the time, the main exhibit was by an artist who made wax art. We could not believe this work had made it to the Guggeheim...there was wax everywhere. Literally candles that had melted and the end result was art. We looked around and saw that there were people who were deeply impressed by it and could not figure out why. This is also my opinion when I see a blank canvas with say a dot in the middle. However, I respect that it can be a work of art to the artist and their admirers.

Indeed art is definitely in the eye of the beholder...