According to
Marcel Duchamp,
Art is whatever I, as the artist, say it is. Whether or not this
statement has any
validity, I don't know.
Art, to me at least, has always been the ultimate expression of emotion. I my words can stutter, but my art is always what I mean to say.
Art has had many uses throughout history, everything from simple decoration of everyday objects, to informing the illiterate masses. Art is an integral element in any society, and to deny its importance is to deny the importance of expression. The modern view of art is that it is a frivolous afterthought, only for the rich, and this is shown through the massive cuts the art departments at most schools have taken recently. We understand the importance of science, math, and writing, but art is much more objective, and it is often seen as superfluous. But, without art, we would live in a cold, emotionless world[, lacking beauty and feeling. It is necessary to expose our children to art, just as we expose them to math and science, in order to help to expand their minds, and to teach them to think on multiple levels.
I currently am a freshman at Pratt Institute, a fine arts school in Brooklyn. I am learning the skills I need to relate my emotion and thoughts through art, just as a writer expresses them through words. I am so thankful for my opportunity to improve my skills, and to have a chance to work with my love, Art.