Head, heart or gut?

I just read this amazing article on ART:21, called 'Secrets of art appreciation' by Museum Nerd, and all I can say: wow. This article is spot on the big question of 'what is art?' and why so many people disagree on what is art. It answers it with a simple question: head, heart or gut? 'Head' meaning; does it stimulate you based on a purely intellectual basis? Does it incite you because it resonates with some prior knowledge on art theory you are well acquainted whit?. 'Heart' meaning whether you love the piece because of the topic it touches. Finally, 'gut' is whether the piece has touched, yet, you cant really put your finger on, its just has a 'je ne sais pas' that captures you. Those three little questions manage to make clear, or at least to me, why my feelings towards certain pieces i call 'art' have evolved. I'll explain myself.

I was once a hard-headed art snob, who considered that everything until 1900, with some rare exceptions, could not to be considered art. Why? Ignorance. I blocked myself from anything new, being sure that if something was not painted or made in that much nobler age, following the principles discovered by the ancient greeks, renaissance artists, who respected certain guidelines of what scholars believed to be 'art', was a waste of time. I could not conceive in my little mind that there were other ways, and by doing so, i think in a way i actually blocked the true essence of art. What is art? Now I know i cant discriminate and i have to let my instincts go wild, my senses to be open and let everything in, and discern later. If something hits you, in any way, that is art.

By that I dont mean to say whatever hits me, no, its whatever hits you. For example, before, i would consier this art.

Caravaggio Calling of St Mathew

Im not saying it not art! It has all: technique, (ok, i know by the standards of his time he didn't have technique, but lets not get anal) composition, shadowing, proportions, drama, and (clear?) subject. In fact, I choose to show a Caravaggio because its him who showed me to think outside the box, as he did in his time. All about this painting, believe it or not, is revolutionary. Here, he depicts the moment when Christ calls Matthew to become his follower. However, we does not depict it the traditional way, he gives us a mysterious, dramatic new approach. One in which we see all the biblical characters in modern roman clothing, in an unknown location, and in a ambiguous context. The subject is there, yet one has to pay extra close attention to figure it out. That work of art, as all of Caravggio's works, hit me, in my head, heart and gut. His work manages to convey all of the above, it stimulates me intellectually, i love the subjects and how he depicts it, and more importantly, it gives me something i cant really explain.

What has changed? I have allowed other pieces to intrigue me

Franz Kline, painting #2

Kline's abstract landscapes hit me in the gut, I don't know why, but his works, as well as many of the abstract expressionism do something to me.

Bansky, Girl with Ballons, Gaza Wall

Bansky hits me in the head, gut and heart, I understand his jokes, I love the subjects he touches on and I adore the fact that he's a graffiti artist, and that his art is on the street, modelling urban-scapes and challenging everyone, not just one that happened to go to a gallery.

Yue Minjun, excecution

Yue hits me on the heart and gut, I love the modern chinese subject and how he tackles tabus, as well as his aesthetics. Also, his works make me look, make me laugh at the irony of the situation, and make me look even more

Youssef Nabil, Ahmed in Djellabah,

Yussef Nahil is a new photographer i discovered and which I absolutely ADORE, he hits me on the heart and gut. This picture in particular is so… urg… provocative and nostalgic and tabu that it drives me mad… I wanna lift the skirt!

YSL, mondrian dress

Fashion. First and foremost let me make absolutely clear that, for me, was NEVER an art, it was just something that really skinny models wore, and snobs bought. However, in this new artistic me, FASHION IS ART, why? (i'll just stay short, later i'll post a longer why) because its the only art form that captures the cultural zeitgeist, and it allows you to wear it in a way that you can express your own identity whilst also expressing the historical moment we live it.

marc seguin, success and failure of abstract art #5

Seguin hits me in the head and heart, I love the irony of his works, and i understand what he's trying to say. This work in particular im very fond of, because of how he uses the cultural background of the sitter, and in a way, transforms him into what he wants.

These are just a few snippets of my new found loves. Of course, i dont mean to say that I like evrything now, by no means. I still think that there are many many many "artists" who do "art" that is bought at ridicolous prices by pompous snobs. Yes, i might understand the subject. yes, they might hit me, but i hate them, sorry, but its my right not to like it, as much as its your to do.

Damien Hirst, shark in box

Wrapping this up…. Next time you are confronted by a work of art, think to yourself: head, heart or gut? you'll be surpised!!

xoxo