Something that has recently come to mind is an artist’s intent, message, and what defines art. This was something I started to think about in depth while reflecting back on all of the productions I participated in last year, but more specifically the events that occurred during the setup of Graduation Main Gallery. To be more specific, last year somebody used black spray paint and tagged a message (one I unfortunately can not remember) in the Main Gallery with a very short 2 word phrase targeting the $2000 increase in the CalArts tuition. Note that the Main Gallery was not the only area tagged. The effect of this 4ft x 4ft graffiti ultimately slowed the setup of the Graduation Main Gallery down by hours because the space had to be painted over which I believe required everyone working in the space to hold their work until we were cleared to start working again. In reaction, the lighting designer of the space took a picture of the graffiti and shared a post on a Facebook group page stating that this was not art, it was just a form of vandalism that was an invasion of somebody else’s art space. This sparked a very interesting conversation. One student replied that the lighting designer’s comment was not valid because the person who tagged the wall may have thought it was art. The designer then replied saying that the tag was not only invading the space of their own art but also slowing down a setup that was time sensitive. On top of that she said that the graffiti was not art because it was done with very little thought and was sloppy. This conversation went back and forth for a while.
This made me think, what defines art? In this case, I understood both sides of the argument. I agreed that the graffiti was a complete invasion of art space and the person who tagged the wall absolutely should have been more considerate towards the artist using the space, but I also agreed that the designer could have her own opinion and say it is not art but can not make the overall claim that the graffiti is not in any form art especially because she could not have known the true intent of the artist. Personally, I think the single most significant factor that defines art is the intent behind the art set by the artist. Of course, everyone observing art can each hold their personal opinions on whether something can be considered art and whether this art is good or bad, but in the end the artist is what makes the art a true reflection of their vision and opinions, and it is the observer’s job to decide how they feel about a certain art piece whether see it as art or not.
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