It is still amazing to me how many people do not understand exactly what “The Arts” means.
Look at ancient civilizations…Egypt,  Greece, Rome. Understand just how much we know of those civilizations from the art they left behind. 

There are murals in Pompeii that give us a glimpse into daily life there. Tapestries that tell us about Medieval life. Sculptures from the Renaissance are snapshots not just of the world then, but the state of mind. Plays from Greece all the way to now provide the thoughts and emotions of the time they were born.

The art of any culture or civilization is a time capsule that contains the identity of the society, of the people,  in that place and time.

That does not mean that you, living in this place and time, have to agree with the art of your time. You just have to allow it to exist.

I have tried to remove the word “sucks” from my vocabulary when discussing any art. The very worst thing I can say is “I am not the audience for it”.

I do not particularly care for rap music.  I am not the audience for it. Does it “suck”? Millions of people don’t think it does, and there is no possible way I am smarter than all of them.

Art, at its most basic,  is communication.  It is the artist saying, “This is what I think. This is what I see. This is what I feel, and this is the only way I can communicate it to the world.”

So the art is born, and goes into the world. It waits for people to say, “Yes! I understand. I agree. That is what I see, that is what I feel. That is what I can’t find the words for.”

And most important, they say, “I am not alone.”  Those people are the audience for that art.

If art does not find that connection,  it fades away. Without an audience,  it has relevance only to its creator. 

If it connects across all lines, then it has successfully communicated a greater truth. It has touched the collective unconscious. 

When you view art, ask yourself what it says to you. If nothing, that’s okay. You don’t need to try to make it disappear from the world.  If it has nothing to say, it will fade on its own. If you don’t like what it has to say, fine. You are not the audience.

 Be careful,  however.  Make sure that you are connecting,  and not being told you connect.  Break through fads, trends and marketing manipulation,  and ask yourself what the connection really is. There is money in telling you how you feel. Don’t sell your experience of the world. 

Art, more than anything else, is who we are. Relax. Be who you are, and allow others to be who they are. The big picture will form on its own. And when it does,  you may want to pay attention to the story it tells.