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Sail Boats / Blue Water / Simple Abstract Painting Demonstration /Daily Art Therapy / Day #019

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Rhine II is a photograph made by German visual artist Andreas Gursky in 1999. In the image, a river (the Lower Rhine) flows horizontally across the field of view, between flat green fields, under an overcast sky. This photograph is art because it involves a lot of effort put in by the artist, the photographer, to make this piece. Gursky had to do a lot of careful editing to digitally remove any other features such as dog walkers, cyclists and a factory building. Such a photograph is an extraordinary technical accomplishment that takes months to set up in advance, and required a lot of digital doctoring to get just right. The photograph is also of a very large scale, and pays great attention to color. This photograph is also meaningful because it could help to bring out the message that the artist was trying to convey, which was about the meaning of life and how things are. He edited the picture to make it look very bleak and minimal to show a dramatic and profound reflection on human existence and our relationship to nature on the cusp of the 21st century. This photograph is also thought provoking and it evokes certain feelings in people. There are various elements of the photograph that might also be meant to convey the artist’s thoughts, leaving people to wonder what could be the significance of such elements. For example, the sky and river are perfectly straight lines,  and the whole photo consist of two main colours only, gray and green, which is reminiscent of black and white photography.

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Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven 

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Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven 

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The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. Moonlight Sonata consists of 3 movements, Adagio sostenuto, allegretto and presto agitato.

Why I think this is a work of art:
Firstly, it invokes the audience's emotion. As one of the earliest Romantic Era musicians, Beethoven's music was expressive and full of feeling. The 3 movements of Moonlight Sonata are distinct and each invokes different emotions in the audience. The first movement, Adagio sostenuto, is slow and consists of a repeated pattern, resembling a funeral hymn. This invokes a strong sense of melancholy and despair. The second movement, allegretto, is light and played at a medium speed, giving the audience the feeling of light heartedness and anticipation. The third movement, presto agitato is incredibly fast and loud, where the pianist has to slam fingers on the keyboard intensely. This invokes a sense of rage and agitation, akin to a huge storm.

Secondly, it has a deep meaning behind it. This piece was dedicated to his pupil, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, who he loved deeply but due to traditions then, could not chase and marry. This piece expresses his sadness and frustration at this matter. This piece was also composed in 1801-1802, which was when his hearing loss because severe. Facing his impending deafness, he was thrown into despair and almost to the point of suicide, as written in a famous will to his brothers, The Heiligenstadt Testament. Because of his condition, he became increasingly isolated from the world and lived in an exile-like manner. His loneliness and despair was expressed in the first movement and frustration and internal turmoil was expressed in the third movement.

Thirdly, it requires immense skill and technique to create. When composing this piece, his hearing had already declined severely, it required unimaginable skill and technique for him to complete it. The first movement has to be played with the right hand softer than the left, which is unusual and difficult to control since most people are right handers. The third movement especially, has to be played fast and furiously, with accuracy and expression. This requires much practice and finger dexterity. In addition, the usual movements of a sonata, progresses according to fast-slow-fast, however, this piece progresses according to slow-medium-fast.

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This bronze sculpture was created by Auguste Rodin, a French sculptor considered to be the originator of modern sculpture. The Thinker is one of his most famous art pieces.

It can be considered art as it expresses intellect and poetry. The Thinker is depicted as a strong athletic figure, showing that thinking is a powerful exercise. The statue is made of bronze, a durable material which will withstand time, just like philosophy and thought.

This sculpture can be considered art as it showcases the effort and commitment put into its creation. The features of The Thinker are prominent and well defined, showing the high level of craftsmanship of the sculptor. This could make the scuplture art based on the blood and sweat of the artist.

This art was created to portray a message based on the situation at the time of creation. The Thinker was based on The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, and created to show people that thinking is heroic. This art piece has also been subjected to various interpretations, such as depicting Dante at the gates of Hell, pondering his great poem. As it give much room for interpretation by others, it can be considered a work of art.

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The Mirror Barricade is a social sculpture consisting of silver reflective inflatable cubes that can be assembled within seconds into a barricade. The playful tools were built by citizens of Dortmund, who positioned themselves against xenophobia and the so-called “Day of German Future”, a neo-Nazi rally on the 4th of June 2016. The barricade was designed to enable Dortmunders to literally hold up a mirror to the extreme-right marchers and make space for reflecting on the kind of society they want to live in.

The mirror barricade can be considered as a work of art as it engages the audience and appeals to their emotions. The mirror medium adopted by the artists compels the Neo nazis to reflect about their actions, literally and figuratively. As they approach the art piece, their mirrored images symbolise the ugliness and innate monstrosity of neo Nazism. The violence that the neo Nazis enact are reflected back upon them, shocking their senses and perhaps, forcing them to contemplate about the repulsive and despicable values of racism and bigotry that they are imbibed with.

The mirror barricade consists of large, silver inflatable blocks. Inflatables invite the artist to reclaim public space and help to forge communities and promote participation. Their disruptive, ephemeral presence challenges power structures, by reminding us that after all, everything is temporary. In this case, the mirror barricade’s creation fostered closer bonds within the community. The mirror blocks themselves represent just how fragile these community bonds are and how a little push can threaten to damage this "barrier" that stands between peace and violence. It also showcases that the actions of the neo nazis can potentially jeopardise the progress that German society has made in the past 70 years.

Thus, this mirror barricade engages the audience, appeals to their emotions and is an accurate reflection of the threats society faces.

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Breathtaking Imagery

Good art should inspire and awe viewers with its imagery, be it because of the layers of hidden meaning they may convey, or the sheer gravitas presented by the landscapes and details apparent to the eye. Titanfall 2 imagines a multitude of worlds in a time where humanity has discovered space travel and colonized a multitude of worlds. From the wide plains and forests of an uninhabited world, to the eerie remains of a landscape left desolated by war, Titanfall 2's impeccable landscape design involves multiple levels of immersion. The basic graphics involving small details in the environment, like random spawns of wild animals or destroyable environmental elements, meshed seamlessly into a world that is fully traversable by the player, is truly awe inspiring.

Presentation of Fresh and Innovative Ideas

Good art should present new and creative ideas that reinvent the field of art itself. Just as The Matrix tested the limits of film by probing the fourth wall, just as Banksy shocked the world by producing truly unique and interactive pieces of art, Titanfall 2 revolutionises the first person shooter game genre by involving various mechanics and providing a fluid flow of gameplay. It combines elements from previous "greats", such as the gritty feel of war from Call of Duty, the mobility and fluid movements of Warframe, and the earth shattering scale of combat in 'Titans', giant robots controlled by you, a pilot. A seamless combination of all the above elements seemed impossible before the release of this game, as it was deemed to be an overload of game elements that would confuse the player. Titanfall 2 masterfully blends these elements together, giving a truly unprecedented gameplay experience.

Emotional Engagement

Good art should stir up feelings in the viewer, to make them feel some sort of emotions, to "disturb the comfortable", as Banksy puts it. Such emotions should eventually provoke further thought and reflection for the viewer. Watching the great play Romeo and Juliet might evoke feelings of heartache and sadness, looking at The Scream is supposed to strike deep into your heart and make you feel the hopelessness and futility of life. Similarly, playing Titanfall 2 makes you fall in love with it. With the growing bond between Titan and Pilot, with the sacrifice you see going on around you, with the heartwrenching decisions you are forced to make... the list goes on. Titanfall 2 stirred up emotions I didn't know I could feel from a game. It nearly brought me to tears. And thus I feel that it is a work of art.

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I consider Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2015 album EMOTION to be a work of art. I will be (briefly) analyse the factors that make this album “artistic”, including artist factors and audience factors.

[ARTIST FACTORS]

EMOTION is, true to its name, an album which tells of Jepsen’s many emotions, especially in regards to the pursuit of romance. In songs like “Run Away with Me” and “I Really Like You”, Jepsen presents a hopeful, almost naive look at love. In the former, an intersection between a “bop” (or, more formally, a song characterised by its high energy) and a “ballad” (one that is characterised by its deep emotional tones), Jepsen sings of the hope that comes with a new relationship. In the latter, Jepsen uses the saccharinely catchy hook, defined by the line “I really, really, really, really, really, really like you”, to convey her positive outlook towards love.

In both of these songs, the composition and choice of instrumental tracks inspire similar emotions in their listeners. In “Run Away with Me”, the use of saxophone creates a loud (but never obnoxious) sound that evokes feelings of uplifting energy. In “I Really Like You”, the radio-friendly tone inspires high and an almost sort-of-restless energy, an energy that can be said to be similar to that felt in the early stages of an infatuation.

Yet, there are songs like “Your Type”, which has a more melancholy tone as Jepsen acknowledges (“I’m not the type of girl for you/I’m not going to pretend/I’m the type of girl you call more than a friend”) that she was not the correct fit for her partner. Nonetheless, Jepsen uses an energetic tone that is not dissimilar in “feel” from the one used in “Run Away with Me”, but that is markedly different from the one used in “I Really Like You”. This is an example of how Jepsen conveys the complexities of romance -- even in a sad realisation, she is able to bring positive undertones to her expressions of her (what would at least be considered) negative emotions.

In a similar vein, Jepsen explores relationship drama in songs like “Boy Problems”, where she borrows the perspective of that of a close friend who is getting exhausted by Jepsen’s seemingly petty problems. Once again, Jepsen never resorts to an abjectly negative take on relationship issues, instead using the same poppy backing track and singing tone that had previously been employed in the rest of the examples mentioned. While this consistency in tone could be interpreted as a lack of musical range, I choose to interpret this as a motif that was used to thread (most of) the album together.

The variation in portrayals of the deceptively simple notion of love makes for a many complex emotions explored under an hour. Jepsen’s ability to portray love and emotion as complicated things, and more importantly, to evoke her own feelings in her listeners makes it a work of art in the same vein as works such as Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” and Lars von Trier’s… works, except instead of conveying fear and horror, Jepsen chooses to convey the feelings of someone that can be considered a hopeless romantic. Art needs to evoke feelings, and EMOTION does just that.

[AUDIENCE FACTORS]

Art is just as much about audience reaction as it is about artist talent. Without an audience to respond to the work, art is nothing. Fortunately, despite being (largely) a commercial failure, EMOTION has found appreciation in a small crowd of pop fans.

On forums such as the “popheads” subreddit, Jepsen is revered as if it were the second coming of Lisztomania. Fans praise EMOTION for its sound production and its emotional value, while still managing to feature tracks that would be considered “radio-friendly” (which is ironic given the album’s general lack of radio success outside of “I Really Like You”) and suitable for unwinding to.

EMOTION has become a mainstay of Stan Twitter, a subculture of Twitter dominated by “stans” (committed fans of any musical artist), the users of which celebrate the album for the reasons stated above. It has become a meme, seemingly defeating the bad hand it was dealt in terms of publicity and advertisement.

However, EMOTION’s quality is not reserved only for niche tastes. Having been lauded by mainstream publications such as Rolling Stone and by online music review sites such as Pitchfork, the appreciation received by the album is not unfounded.

With a loyal following and major appreciation, EMOTION can be considered a work of art in that it has received appreciation and success. People care about it. After all, what is art if it fades into obscurity without anyone taking notice?

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The Raft of the Medusa 1818-9 Theodore Gericault

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The Raft of the Medusa 1818-9 Theodore Gericault

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This is art because the artist has an intended message portrayed in the painting. This artpiece depicts the artist’s message of the vain hope of rescue of the remaining 15 survivors from the original over 150 from the wreck of the French naval frigate Méduse, which ran aground off the coast of Senegal on July 2, 1816. 13 days passed before their rescue, and the 15 who survived endured starvation and dehydration and practised cannibalism. The human and political aspects of this event greatly interested Gericault, spurring him to choose this tragedy as the subject matter for his first major work.

The sense of helplessness the artist intends to portray can be seen in the old man depicted holding the corpse of his son at his knees, while another tears his hair out in frustration and defeat. The bodies littering the foreground are waiting to be swept away by the waves.

Moreover, the composition of the painting is artistic in the use of two pyramids made up of the survivors’ bodies. The horizontal grouping of dead and dying figures in the foreground forms the base from which the survivors emerge, surging upwards towards the emotional peak. The centre figure waves desperately to the rescue boat which is just visible on the horizon, but sails away without seeing them. A large wave threatens to overcome the barely seaworthy makeshift raft.

Though the painting was controversial at its appearance in the 1819 Paris Salon, attracting passionate praise and condemnation in equal measure, it represented a break from the calm and order of the then-prevailing Neoclassical school. Considered an icon of Romanticism, this painting was acquired by the Louvre soon after Gericault’s death, showing that the painting received recognition from the art industry as a work of art. Gericault was known as one of the pioneers of the Romantic movement.

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The Starry Night, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh

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The Starry Night, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh

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The Starry Night, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh

Firstly, the art piece is a dreamy interpretation of the night sky outside Van Gogh’s asylum room. He painted it after observing the scenery outside his window countless of times. Since the art piece was painted from Van Gogh’s memory during the day, it inevitably embodies certain aspects of his interpretation of the outside scenery, and this is a form of art. Art allows one to, after interactions with our surroundings, form our own opinions and interpretations about them and express them through various mediums. In this case, Van Gogh did so through his art piece.

Art can also be a conduit for our emotions, and can allow us to express our feelings subtly. While painting The Starry Night, Van Gogh was going through emotional and mental turmoil, as he battled his mental illness throughout his stay in the asylum. His thoughts then can be reflected and interpreted in his art piece, Starry Night. For instance, in the art piece, the powerful sky sits above the quiet town, and it may seem Van Gogh was contrasting life and death with luminous stars and a gloomy peaceful village.

Art should also be open to interpretation, because art, by nature, is subjective, and allowing it to be open to interpretation, allows one to appreciate the true beauty in art through forming one’s personal opinions on it. The artist intention should not be used to trump the audience’s opinions, but rather to stimulate a discussion. For instance, some may view Starry Night as a pessimistic view on life that Van Gogh harboured during his stay in the asylum, due to his use of dark colours and contours. However, others may argue that Van Gogh was making a hopeful statement, as seen from his use of Cypress tree in the background, which symbolises immortality.

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Firstly, the artwork showcases the artist’s skills. Higby chooses to portray a valley in the form of a ceramic bowl, creating an illusion of depth. Imagery of the landscape covers both the interior and exterior of the ceramic bowl, with the jagged and harsh edges of the valley contrasting sharply against the smooth edges of the ceramic bowl. The use of lines, shapes, colour, space and shadows all come together to make up the piece of artwork. In addition, I believe that the medium used for this artwork is very meaningful. Clay is made during either erosion or weathering of rocks and soil, and it is an interesting choice to portray rocks using clay.

Secondly, the artwork is able to convey the artist’s emotions and thoughts to the audience. Despite not having a deep meaning or message, I believe that this piece of artwork is considered art. Higby mentioned that through the artwork, he hoped to bring to the audience a sense of quiet coherence, a way to slow things down and bring peace to their lives. I believe that not all artwork has to have a deep meaning or a strong impact on the audience, and that art can also be a means to slow down the pace of life and bring to the audience peace and enjoyment.

Thirdly, this artwork represents a reflection of reality. Through portraying panoramic landscape vistas, a connection can be established between nature and mankind. As can be seen in the piece of art, the valley, a crack in the surface of the Earth, although a flaw, is seen as something beautiful and magnificent by mankind. Valleys are commonly used to illustrate life’s low points. Similar to the crack in the surface of the Earth, we face many difficulties in our lives, but we should always view these struggles positively and treat them as learning experiences.

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Tangled combines both visual and auditory art, namely through its animation and drawing, and its song and score respectively.

Tangled is aesthetically pleasing. One key and unique feature of Tangled would be the animation of Rapunzel's hair. At 70 feet long, over 30 animators and software engineers were tasked with the job of animating her hair. To see how hair would shimmy and shake when let down from the tower, they dropped 70 feet of cloth from a balcony in their office and waved it around. The film's emotional and pivotal climax shows Rapunzel and Flynn Rider on a boat as floating lanterns drift away in the background. The scene, which features 45,000 CGI 3D paper lanterns "descending through mist onto water is especially breathtaking, partly because it departs from the usual 3-D insistence on deep focus and sharply defined images, creating an experience that is almost tactile in its dreamy softness."

Tangled is able to convey emotions to its audience. In the first few minutes alone, Tangled sweeps up its audience to join Rapunzel in her morning routine. "When Will My Life Begin", mixes her exuberance for life with an underlying sadness. The audience feels sympathy for her, yearning, along with her, for her to be able to break out of captivity.

Tangled conveys various messages to its audience. Tangled touches on subjects such as female empowerment and abusive relationships. Although often veiled with humour and comedy, Rapunzel proves herself to be a strong and independent woman. She holds her own in fights with thugs and far from swoons over Flynn Rider's initial charm. Moving on to more taboo subjects, the film depicts the toxic and emotionally abusive relationship between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel. In the song, "Mother Knows Best", Gothel lobs passive aggressive comments at her foster daughter while claiming that all of that is "love". Since Rapunzel has known nothing else other than her life with Gothel, she has no choice but to accept it. Even when she initially escapes the tower, she has mood swings. She goes back and forth from the heights of ecstasy to the depths of despair over and over again in a very short period of time. One minute she is joyously marvelling at the feel of grass as she runs through it. The next minute she is crying and wailing, "Oh, I'm a terrible daughter!" Soon thereafter she once again beams as she thrills in splashing through her first pool of water. Shortly after that she anxiously frets that she is hurting the woman who raised her and whom she loves.

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Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video Remastered)

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Bohemian Rhapsody is a rock song written by Freddie Mercury and released in Queen’s 1975 album A Night at the Opera.

It is original and unique to the creator of that piece of art. Written solely by Frieddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody is believed to be strong embodiment of Freddie’s personality and life, and it has been widely interpreted to be an expression of the thoughts and feelings Freddie experienced with regards to his homosexuality. There are a few references in the lyrics to his religion, and the song depicts imagery about that is believed to depict the repression of homosexuality. The combination images, ideas and the story that the song has to tell is not only novel, but also special to Freddie Mercury himself.

Secondly, Bohemian Rhapsody expresses emotions. The song conveys feelings of denial, depression, bargaining, anger, and acceptance, through both its lyrics and its music. For example, in the first verse, “is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?”, and “no escape of reality” shows denial. Likewise, the song adopts a slow tempo at that time, which is linked to denial and sadnes. In the fourth verse the tempo of the music speeds up and the tone of Mercury’s voice turns hostile, expressing anger.

It breaks boundaries and defies structure. From the start, Bohemian Rhapsody is 6 minutes long, although singles during that time were no longer than 3 minutes. The song defies the usual structure of pop songs. Most pop songs have a chorus and adopt a certain structure. However, Bohemian Rhapsody is a song without a chorus, instead comprising of an introduction, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock section and a reflective coda, giving the impression of a few songs combined in one. Despite its unique combination of genres in one song and its lack of a chorus, Bohemian Rhapsody still proves itself successful as a song.

https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ

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This photograph can be considered a work of art due to the  the meaning being its imagery. A piece of art is considered what is due partly to what the artist wants to express in it. The photographer is not very well known , but its evident that there is a general theme of bonding between grandfather and grandson in this photo, a type of bond that transcends generations, expressed in the photo.

Another reason why this can be considered art would be because it conveys an emotion to the audience, and the audience might feel a tinge of nostalgia to the days when their grandfather held their hand just like in the photo.

Another reason why this is art would be the technique behind it. Another photographer in the same situation taking the same shot would have produced a completely different image because different people have different visions for a photo in post processing. In this photo, the artist opted for a high sat high contrast photo so the main focus would be the pair after the dark tunnel. Negative space, leading lines and sub framing is involved to bring attention to the subject.
While the photograph seems amateurish and downright bad at first, this shows that art doesn't have to be flawless, it doesn't have to be from someone who is famous or extremely talented. As long as an idea can be conveyed from artist to the audience via any medium through use of various techniques, then the piece can be art.

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The Tree of Life directed by Terence Malick 

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The Tree of Life directed by Terence Malick 

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Instead of focusing on the plot, Malick creates sheer beauty through images for the 2011 movie. As some critics claim, one could pause the movie at any time and frame the resulting image on one's wall. Arguably, the act of using pictures instead of a convincing storyline was also able to create resonance between the audience and the director.

However, the brilliance of the movie goes deeper than simply creating palatable images: it serves as a metaphysical inquiry of mankind's place in the universe. Malick makes sure that his scenes allows the viewer to think deeply since there are a multitude of ways one could interpret a scene. In the dinosaur scene, a carnivorous dinosaur attacks another sick dinosaur and becomes victorious. It then realises that eating the sick prey would be too cruel and releases the prey (though this would never have happened in actual history since dinosaurs don't have the mental capacities to do this). Though there are many interpretations to the scene, many believe that it represents the first ever act of grace on earth, as envisioned by Malick; the introduction of grace was to complete a Christian narrative. Nevertheless, the movie remains to be mind-boggling, intense and heartwarming, speaking directly to the heart of every viewer.

The soundtrack is remarkably beautiful and interlocks closely with the film. Instead of using self-composed music typical in films today, the creator of the soundtrack Alexandre Desplat used classical music instead. For the final scene, when the female protagonist accepts the death of her son and offers it to Yahweh, the music chosen was Berlioz's Grande Messe de Morts. The lyrics (Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis; Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them) was also in line with the closing scene. The sixfold Amen played as the movie closed left deep impressions on every viewer. The use of a soprano solo in the scene where the creation of the universe is depicted is unconventional and perhaps slightly eerie, but it is a great glimpse into how the creation ought to feel like.

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The musical phenomenon Les Miserables is in my opinion, a work of art.

With immense effort dedicated to the creation of musical pieces, the writing of the script, acting, blocking, and singing, it is without doubt an expression of human creative skill. For example, the songs in the musical have irrefutably been given much thought to — songs such as Look Down set a dreary and dark tone for the musical, while others such as I Dreamed A Dream invoke pity for Fantine and her tragic life story. Even smaller components of the musical, such as the props and costumes used have been conceptualised with the aim of effectively portraying a character, or accurately reflecting the time period the musical was set in.

As the longest running show on Broadway, Les Miserables  has the ability to provide artistic enjoyment and stir up emotions within its viewers, or the production would arguably have closed years ago. It manages to make the audience care about two stories - the life of Jean Valjean, against the backdrop of the French Revolution. Through effective characterisation, apt blocking and poignant songs, it has manage to engage generations of audiences on an emotional and psychological level.

Lastly, Les Miserables is art because audience members can draw meaning from it. While not everyone may be able to appreciate it, and different individuals will have contrasting opinions or interpretations of the show, it can give each and every viewer a unique, personal experience.

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1. interpretation. dance is an art form because it evokes certain emotions and interpretation in the audience, which is not limited to correct or wrong, but is open to various interpretations.
2. Expression. besides, it aims to tell a story , much like any other art piece trying to convey a message to the audience.
3. discipline/skill.  this dance piece requires discipline, skills and practice to bring to completion. for eg, the ribbon wave and the fan manipulation  are especially hgh-skilled moves that take skill and practice.
Art essentially is a form of discipline and requires discipline. Even in free expression art forms, there is a required discipline & skill there for the artist to be free, if he was not disciplined/skilful enough to keep his art expression "free", it would not be a free art form.
4. however, this art form is limited in that it only conveys one person's message and does not necessarily speak the messages that the mediums of expression (the dancers) want to convey. It also fall short in that it sometimes is too rigid and suppresses free expression.

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Painted by surrealist artist René Magritte in 1929, when he was just 30 years old, This Is Not A Pipe is literally a painting of a pipe. Below it, Magritte painted the phrase “Ceci n'est pas une pipe.", French for "This is not a pipe." The painting is also known as “The Treachery Of Images”
In Magritte’s own words,
“The famous pipe. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff my pipe? No, it's just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my picture 'This is a pipe', I'd have been lying!”

Magritte’s art has something in common with the rest of the surrealist artists: his art is the juxtaposition of elements that together won’t make a rational sense, but the value of its interpretation lies in the reaction of each spectator’s mind toward the relation of those elements. Magritte’s approach is more conceptual. He exposes how we define things by the word we use to name them creating a word-image series of conflicts. In his painting of “The Treason of Images”, Magritte is trying to show how it doesn’t matter how we name the object, the word will never be one with the object’s physical reality. In general, not only he made this observation through these types of images, but also he usually gives a title for his paintings that has nothing to do with the literal things you see in the image.

I consider his work art because it is an expression of Magritte’s ideas about the somewhat paradoxical relationships people have between words and reality, where words are meant only as a representation of concepts and reality, but end up having as much mental weight as the concepts themselves, and this expression was done and presented in his own creative medium of painting.

It is also art since it requires active interpretation on the part of the audience to be fully appreciated. Indeed, such was the intent of Magritte in the first place, the challenge the deeply ingrained views of audiences on the connection between language and reality and actively encourages. The painting requires careful consideration by viewers to dissect and understand, since a passing glance would reveal seeming logical contradictions.

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Freedom of expression. This piece is a piece that is solely dependent on the audience actions where the music from the piece is literally the sounds created by the audience be it a cough, sneeze or  whispers. The beauty behind this piece is that no one performance will be the same and this allows the freedom of expression for the piece where the piece performed will be expressed however way the audience react. As such, one's thoughts or feelings can be freely shown in this piece, making the piece memorable and yet personal at the same time, thus being the ultimate form of artistic expression.

Platform for imagination. The beauty of art is in how it allows one to imagine and think about the various possibilities behind the work of art and I believe that John Cage's 4'33" is a good example for this.  Through the 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence,  this piece allows one's imagination to go wild and allow for an infinite number of interpretations where no one interpretation is correct. The additional inputs from the audience such as their whispers and questions also add in to the atmosphere and facilitates more in-depth thoughts into the meaning behind the piece. In addition, the audience may also be puzzled as to why this piece is exactly 4 minutes and 33 seconds, allowing for more platforms for imagination.

Originality. This piece is a masterpiece as it is the first time a musician is bold enough to perform a piece that requires little to no input from the musician. A typical piece of music will include the use of instruments and music notes to direct the piece and create the atmosphere for imagination through the interweaving of the notes and the complements in the harmony and melody. This piece on the other hand expresses this atmosphere through the use of natural man made sounds and awkward silence, which makes it stand out from the other pieces and make it a masterpiece of its own kind.

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“Tales of Slavery and Power” by Kara Walker

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“Tales of Slavery and Power” by Kara Walker

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1. The painting conveys a message about a social issue which is racial discrimination. It is a satire meant to mock the whites in the past who viewed blacks as inferior beings and treated them inhumanly as slaves. This also shows the author's disapproval towards the issue of racial inequality by depicting how the African Americans' struggle to get out of the unjust and torturous situation.
2. The use of colours creates a stark contrast between the black and white lady, emphasising on the theme of racial inequality by showing how individual's socio-economic status are determined by their skin colour.
3. The structure of this painting also refers back to the theme of racial inequality. By positioning the white lady on top of the black woman, it gives the viewer an immediate visual impact and implies the differences between the two women in terms of their socio-economic statuses, signifying the imbalance of power and the oppression that blacks had to endure.

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1. Thought-provoking: the art gets the viewer thinking about the meaning and significance of his art beyond the surface level, and thus leads his viewers towards his views on nature and beauty of self.
2. Creative. The artpiece cleverly self-references the painting of a canvas  using a canvas to drive his point on inherent beauty. He expresses the abstract beauty of nature and self to visual, discrete colours, and uses a striking blank in his drawing to show how jarring the white canvas is.
3. Meaningful. The writer gets the audience thinking about what the painting truly reflects in their lives. He gets the point across with the striking montony of colours of the brush, canvas and stand in contrast to the striking bright colours of the dejected person and the beautiful room. He shows that the expression of oneself to the world is simply too difficult and daunting a task and that instead of focusing so much on the reflection of the self to others, we should look within to see our inherent beauty in this world.

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1. Meanwhile is art as it consists of pictures and words drawn by the artist Jason Shiga. The pictures look simplistic at first glance but actually contain plenty of details that immerse the reader into the world. The colour choices also reflect the emotions of the reader throughout the story. When the story begins, the colour palette is vibrant and bright, as the story starts on a happy note. When in the professor’s laboratory,the colour palette becomes much duller, giving the reader a sense of foreboding doom, and disaster does eventually strike. When flashbacks occur and the reader realises what is truly occuring, the pictures are tinted light brown, giving a sense of tragedy and sadness.

2. Meanwhile is art as it provides a truly personal experience for readers. It takes the medium of a graphic novel, but transcends even that. It is an interactive graphic novel where the reader can make decisions, and they do so by following tubes that link panels to each other. Art is something that everyone can experience and feel for themselves, and can have different meanings to different people, and Meanwhile takes that to a whole new level as readers can truly influence the story themselves.

3. Meanwhile is art as it is thought-provoking. A piece of art should be savoured and enjoyed to its fullest in order to find meaning from it, and Meanwhile is no exception. Although the reader can choose freely what want to do, there is an optimal path where the reader can discover what is actually happening, that answers most of the questions readers might have. And yet, these answers leave even more questions for readers, and that leaves a feeling of awe, mystery, and wonder even after they have finished reading. Some of the themes explored in the book include freedom of choice, utopia, what the meaning of identity is, time travel, and so on, which are topics which have much room for thought and discussion.

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1. It is therapeutic when the hands of the individual clocks move together to form a certain character or number, and people derive joy from looking at the piece of art. There is a sense of awe and admiration and it captures viewers’ attention, making viewers feel compelled to stay on longer just to study the beauty and intricacy of the artwork.
2. It is a very useful and meaningful piece of art. It informs travellers of the time, day, etcetera, and even wishes travellers safety, happiness and prosperity by having the clock hands move to form greetings in various different languages. In general, a piece of art that is meaningful should be one that portrays or tries to describe something and have a purpose behind it. For instance, the art piece should try to convey a message in context, besides beautifying purposes. It would be even better if the message the artwork is trying to convey can be easily interpreted by viewers as I feel that art pieces which have very deep but incomprehensible meanings behind them often cause viewers to lack interest in them.
3. Lastly, the artwork should spark some form of interests in viewers, such as by making viewers ponder about how such an artwork was created or formed. This is because when one thinks about the processes which brought about the artwork, it means that the artpiece has successfully captured the heart of the viewer and has made him or her curious about it.

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