Art?

Like many kids I would draw a great deal when I was young. My parents saw something in what I was doing (probably just to keep me out of trouble) and put me in art classes –yes begin the laughing now. But what I found out was that I could paint rather well and did so for many years. I also learnt a great deal about art, artists, art forms and meanings. A fundamental question has always been what is art? Who determines what art is? And so on.

In a political science class I have this semester we studied certain artists work to understand political ideologies like post-modernism or colonialism and the like. Art can be an excellent tool to understand certain moments, decades, and or people over time. Art is meant to make you think, and even if you don’t consider something art the fact that it may make you break it down for what it might be, is an art form in its own.

I thought that I would pose a question similar to that of an email that was that was sent to me months ago. The images are different but I picked them out as some of them are my favorites, others seem to have something that draws me to them and who knows others could be yours not sure. But that is the idea; from the images below what do you considered art? I will state my choices below:

Salvidor Dali mainly known for his surrealist art style on the left and some of his more finer art like the one of his wife. He is part of the community of classic artists. Always a favorite.

Cubism founder Picasso & Monet's Venice
not really a big fan of these two but Picasso was speaking more about the changing times with his cubism style.

Modern artists like Warhol and Duchamp's Dadism style with the 'Fountain' again a comment on his times that after the first world war any daily item could be considered art.

Photography

The last amazing picture is of homeless leilana sitting against a trash can on sidewalk. she had just been in a fight so her eyes are swollen. sleeps in the park, which she's done since goming to sf 8 years ago. she got there by hitching from east coast; doing "whatever" to make a buck along the way. To see more of this talented work visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/stoneth/

Tattoing and Graffiti two modern forms of art that if done is some ways I find extremely artistic. Pretty amazing what people can do.