A “Solar Storm”: The Feud Over The Definition of Art

        In a world where everyone seems to make a huge deal for change over impractical ideas, like the Washington Redskins’ name, that’s been in place for 70 years, and it being “damaging” to the Native Americans, the whole scope of the definition of art is being challenged.  Many people are becoming involved in a debate over the definition of art and are trying to put a “scale” on it, including things like creativity, innovation, and influential ideas. Truly, though, there should be no criteria on what art is or isn’t. In my mind, art is just any expression of the real world in your creative way.

And if someone was to think about it, isn’t most of everything, from pottery, to music, weather, to even HD-TV, just an expression of the world creatively. In my mind, it is, and every day, people all over the world create under this “criteria.” To support this for the doubters, the picture (at side) is just plain art; no more, no less. To further describe this piece, it depicts a massive solar flare and storm coming from the surface of the sun, with a fierce solar wind. Created by an unknown French artist, under the famous Fond D’ecran Art Gallery, it’s called, “Espace Planete,” which literally translates to “Escape (the) Planet.”
       Even though this art is featured in a major French art gallery, it again, is at the same stature as all other art from Van Gogh’s to an amateur’s. But, people wanting ideas in line with their definition, this piece is obviously an expression, but it’s also an even more creative expression of the world around us. Solar flares, as shown in “Espace Planete,” are one crazy event, blowing out from our own sun, with the energy they carry being inconceivable to our experiences in everyday life here on Earth. Worse, yet, if big enough, they could send us back to the dark ages for decades by knocking out any unprotected electronic device. We were lucky back in 2003 that there was just a small one, but a big one would make us really want to “Escape the Planet”. All of this shows why “Espace Planete” is a true embodiment of art, and just like the story behind this unique piece, a just as meaningful story can come from any other art in the world.

        So, are you convinced? Well, someone somewhere still is not, and that’s okay. They might, in response, to my definition may ask, “Why are the gang signs portrayed in graffiti, art, if they’re not even a creative expression and just a simple sign?” I would say this is far from true, because even gangs have their own way to show their ideas and there’s a huge “real world” story behind it. To add, graffiti is extremely complicated and it’s not just a “block-letter” word written on a wall. But, actually, that block letter word is art too, because that’s someone’s own creativity and there’s a good story behind it, which is fine with me and should be with everyone. All this shows is that all the conflict over what is and isn’t art is useless because the whole human experience and its everyday expressions is true art.  So, after all of this, would you know that 2 pieces of art of the same caliber were hanging on the same landing wall of the upstairs stairwell in my house?And the pieces “Espace Planete” and a Native American shield that, oh yeah, I created in 3^rd grade, were those two? I hope you’re convinced.