Revisiting the meaning of art

In a previous post I discussed the different ways people view art. I’ve received a few more answers from fellow Ohio University students since then and would like to share them with you.

“I think if you are creating something unique with the intention of presenting it to an audience and want to have an active dialogue about, that is art. Art cannot be personal - at all - you can't create something and then never let anyone see it. Art has to be shared. It's essential.” –Conor Hogan, senior telecommunications major
“In high school we had a revolving dark room door and I loved how every time you entered and exited, it was like coming and going into two different worlds. I've never felt so comfortable doing something before, like I was always meant to do it. Art means everything to me, particularly photography.” –Jen Lin, junior photography and French major

“Art is a form of expression. It can take place in any format (even though it's mostly considered "art" if it falls under the fine arts categories of music, painting, sculpture, etc.) But it goes beyond that. Art comes from being passionate about what it is that inspires you. I believe it is completely possible to be an artist in your own right, in your own way, in your own field, professionally and recreationally.” –Sam Browning, junior public relations major

I really like all of the responses I’ve gotten and believe in all of them. As a theater minor I've taken numerous theater and fine arts classes and there is one thing that is repeated over and over again: art is not created in a vacuum. Not only does it define us as artists, but it defines the world around us.

My art of choice: musicals.

What does art mean to you?

It is my belief that we all view art in a different way, but it can be equally beneficial to everyone just the same. Some of us may listen to music to get us through a rough week at school or work, some of us sing in the shower to pump ourselves up for the day ahead and some of us may play piano or guitar or another instrument to relieve stress.

In an effort to better understand how my peers experience art, I sent out a message on Facebook to Ohio University students asking a simple question: What does art mean to you? Here are some of the responses:

“Art is a form of self-expression that communicates how you see the world.” – Sandi Combs, public relations major

“For me, art is very malleable—it can either be very personal, or very public. It can be used to express emotion, or to make a political statement. It is almost always powerful.” – Rue Khalsa, Carr Van Anda major

“Art is a blurring of the line that segregates the mundane and the divine. In whatever form it is expressed, art is the manifestation of inspiration, summoned from the infinite void of potential. When given form, it then serves as a conduit for others to experience that mystic spark, ultimately reconnecting the observer to the observed to the source. By this definition, art, for me, can be anything from a masterpiece on a wall, to the dancing of trees in the wind, to the elegant lines of a lover's moonlit body.” – Scott Eardley, chemical engineering major

“Art is a creative way of expressing yourself, or getting behind others’ feelings.” – Devin Hughes, public relations major

"Art is the expression of emotion and personality to tell a story." – Jenna Siska, magazine journalism major

"Art is an expression of creativity that shows who you are inside. I don't think that what is art to one person is necessarily art to someone else." – Annie White, public relations major

For me, art is an escape. Whether it is a performance, a form of visual art or simply listening to your iPod while you study, it is my opinion that art can make us feel virtually any emotion, and is one of the most powerful things in our lives because of that.