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I used to be one of those people who did not 'get' anything labeled 'art' that looked like anyone could make it. The first thing that made me really question that position was going to the Miró museum in Barcelona. I didn't love the paintings I saw, but neither was I confused as to why they were considered art (for the most part, I still disliked some). I could see there was something about them.
My opinion was more drastically changed a year or two later, when I went to the Tate Modern and saw several works of Rothko. There was one in particular that hung just around a corner, filling a whole wall. There was a bench in front of it, and I sat on it for 10 minutes just looking at the work, trying to figure out why it was making me emotional when it was just some coloured shapes thrown together.
I still find it nearly impossible to talk about what makes art, especially something like Rothko, so special. But it's really the same with pictoral painting or other more classic art forms. Why are there works you can stare at for minutes on end when other people walk right by them? I don't know. All I know is that when I look at the painting below (Rothko's deep red on maroon), I understand why it's Art.
My opinion was more drastically changed a year or two later, when I went to the Tate Modern and saw several works of Rothko. There was one in particular that hung just around a corner, filling a whole wall. There was a bench in front of it, and I sat on it for 10 minutes just looking at the work, trying to figure out why it was making me emotional when it was just some coloured shapes thrown together.
I still find it nearly impossible to talk about what makes art, especially something like Rothko, so special. But it's really the same with pictoral painting or other more classic art forms. Why are there works you can stare at for minutes on end when other people walk right by them? I don't know. All I know is that when I look at the painting below (Rothko's deep red on maroon), I understand why it's Art.
