Art Appreciation: Society in All Its Simplicity

All too often, people are looking to find "an easy way out" of anything and everything possible. This is displayed in our society as the "short cut," or the expectance of help in any situation of need. In a world so dependent on commercialization, it's no wonder product slogans have begun to employ phrases such as Burger King's "Have it Your Way" or Kit-Kat's "Give me a break." It has become obvious that everything in this society has been twisted around to become a personal stepping stone to something greater.

Simplicity seems to be the trend of the moment - short and sweet, to-the-point, obvious. "Time is money," and people have altogether become unwilling to spend time deciphering complex items. It is present in all aspects of life, one of the most prominent examples being works of literature. "Scholarly" works are often dreaded in the mind of the student because that first word implies a need for an extreme understanding of the topic at hand. These sorts of situations require a cognitive availability and extreme level of concentration (above what is needed to understand the "simpler" things in life) in order to take in and respond to the dense material.

Artwork is a completely different story. Many times people are drawn to art through extra-sensory perceptions; they feel connected to it in a way. Take into consideration the film Mona Lisa Smile, which is set in a period in which great artistic changes are happening. One of the main questions asked of art history students is, "What constitutes art?" There is, of course, no secure answer to that question, as art is always in the eye of the beholder.

The most general pieces of art, such as a red box painted on a piece of white paper, are usually denied the privilege of being called "art," whereas a complex painting is immediately given the title. This is in essence the irony. The more complex a piece of art (the more ironic, paradoxical, etc.) the more possibilities as to the meaning behind the work. Something that has multiple layers gives plenty of opportunity for a viewer to take what they want out of the piece, and this is something that toward which artists should work. Artists enjoy the possibility of sharing a piece of themselves with an audience; everyone will take it in a different light.

The beauty of art is becoming lost in this world of simplicity. It is time we begin to take a moment out of our schedules to appreciate the otherwise unappreciated and recapture this essence.