Understanding Art | Teen Ink
  1. Home
  2. Opinion
  3. Sports / Hobbies
  4. Understanding Art

Understanding Art

April 9, 2013
By TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
More by this author
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile

What is art?  In first grade it was the ability to copy an apple perfectly. Then it came to putting your thoughts to paper, or to enact them in any medium. I had a friend once who used to say she is an artist and looked at us with pity, like we were fools who would never understand what it mean. Like art was only limited to elites and was esoteric. Did she know art? I don't know. Art is not tough to understand. When somebody comes up to me and tells me it's very artistic you won't get it, I try to rubbish their claims. I think the best art is the one which everyone understands. Art is just a way of communication, a creative exchange of ideas. Good art is something which speaks volumes without you having to think about it,  it's profound. It's binding and spreads across classes. The folk songs, the colourful dances of various sects of people spread over the world speak art's language. Every country has a national anthem which gives each of his countrymen a sense of being. Art isn't hypocritical, it's doesn't discriminate. If you think you have to spend hours to learn about art, write books on what it means, you are wrong. Art is self explanatory. Good artists are not conceited, they just refused to be tamed; they are the voice of people all around them. 

© Mitrah A., Austin, TX

Post a comment
Submit your own

Similar Articles

Previous Next
Opinion
Waking of a Dream
By Maggie Quinn BRONZE
Oak Park, Illinois
Maggie Quinn BRONZE, Oak Park, Illinois
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile
Opinion
STOP, STOP, STOP...
By writingis4ever PLATINUM
Calabasas, California
writingis4ever PLATINUM, Calabasas, California
26 articles 0 photos 21 comments
View profile
Opinion
Addicting Passions
By Anonymous
Opinion
Painting my World
By Anonymous
Opinion
Impossible
By hannahlyyynn BRONZE
Germantown, Wisconsin
hannahlyyynn BRONZE, Germantown, Wisconsin
4 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile
Opinion
Walden
By Chris Olmstead BRONZE
La Mesa, California
Chris Olmstead BRONZE, La Mesa, California
4 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 20 comments.

Lanimal SILVER said...
on Jan. 16 2014 at 8:30 pm
Lanimal SILVER, Thornton, Colorado
7 articles 0 photos 43 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.&quot;<br /> -Edmund Hillary

View profile
Thank you! :)
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on Jan. 16 2014 at 11:13 am
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Thank you, loved reading your work too :)
Lanimal SILVER said...
on Jan. 14 2014 at 2:04 am
Lanimal SILVER, Thornton, Colorado
7 articles 0 photos 43 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.&quot;<br /> -Edmund Hillary

View profile
Whoa, awesome job! I totally agree with everything you said here, I could just never put it into words like you did. :) Keep it up, I look forward to reading more of your work!!
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on Jan. 12 2014 at 4:05 pm
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Thankyou Jack!
JackShadow22 SILVER said...
on Jan. 12 2014 at 4:04 pm
JackShadow22 SILVER, Henderson, Nevada
9 articles 7 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.&quot;<br /> -Winston Churchill

View profile
It summarizes the various meanings of art, putting them in one simple definition. It's a profound thought that does not lack passion and very interesting to read. Many would be enlightened by your piece!
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on Sep. 27 2013 at 11:14 am
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Thanks so much JB, thanks for reading :)
JB.313 said...
on Sep. 27 2013 at 11:07 am
JB.313, Rome, Other
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good; I was actually being re-directed to something better.

View profile
now i know the real meaning of art.it was so great and i really enjoyed it.Good job and keep it up.
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on Jun. 24 2013 at 12:01 pm
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Thanks so much Wonder!
Potterhead_Is_amazing GOLD said...
on Jun. 21 2013 at 5:55 pm
Potterhead_Is_amazing GOLD, Arvada, Colorado
10 articles 3 photos 38 comments

Favorite Quote:
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, so long as one remembers to turn on the light.

View profile
It was really good!  I enjoyed reading it and overall agreed with what you wrote! Keep writing!
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on Jun. 21 2013 at 5:19 pm
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Lol um it's not a poem? It's just a paragraph on art. Not an essay, not a story. It's an opinion I guess :)
Sinister-Von GOLD said...
on Jun. 21 2013 at 5:13 pm
Sinister-Von GOLD, Shawnee, Oklahoma
11 articles 0 photos 49 comments

Favorite Quote:
never stop doing what you love, The past makes you who you are today. Live for today and not for tomorrow

View profile
It was alright, And i am not being mean about anything but to me it sounded like a story and not a poem more like a begain story.
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on Jun. 21 2013 at 4:53 pm
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Hehe I am glad you read it for me. Yayy thankss :D
L-Dizzle_I_LOVEE_COOKIES BRONZE said...
on Jun. 21 2013 at 11:55 am
L-Dizzle_I_LOVEE_COOKIES BRONZE, A Placee, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
Glubington Glubba glubba glubba glubba Glubington, umff, shut your lemmon heads, im bored, darn youuuuu, other person how did the happen me: he&#039;s physic now lemme alone lol

View profile
ohh lovee i cant believe you put me through this but when i saw it was about artt i was  happy unlill i saw the word i sighh the whole waqy though i even read it in a britsh accent just forr ;3 youu gahh i thought i died but in the end i lovedd it it was magnifecenttlyy well thought and just marvoulouss
youknowwho said...
on May. 29 2013 at 2:09 am
Nice content, worth a read :)
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on May. 23 2013 at 4:59 pm
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Hey Lira. First of all-huge comment. teehee. Haha yeah I have to work on my grammar sigh. Lot of improvement to be done. I am so glad you checked out my work so astutely. Also this is such a debateable topic that I am so glad we differ on some points. What is art if it doesn't raise any controversy!
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on May. 23 2013 at 4:30 pm
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Haha thanks so much. (imagine in british accent)
TanviKusum DIAMOND said...
on May. 23 2013 at 4:27 pm
TanviKusum DIAMOND, Gurgaon, Other
89 articles 4 photos 197 comments

Favorite Quote:
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. <br /> Orison Swett Marden<br /> <br /> &quot;The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.&quot; - Anais Nin<br /> <br /> we speak in hushed voices so as to not wake our memories

View profile
Thanks so much. The best part about art is that everyone has their way to look at it, like when you mentioned the emotion part of it, it opens new avenues for the topic. :)
LiraDaeris PLATINUM said...
on May. 23 2013 at 4:24 pm
LiraDaeris PLATINUM, Tucson, Arizona
22 articles 0 photos 135 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You&#039;re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who&#039;ll decide where to go...&rdquo; <br /> ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You&#039;ll Go!

View profile
Good content in this! It reminds me of trying to become a ballerina- they start off saying, "Art is an expression of yourself! So you must do everything exactly as I show you!" Needless to say, I didn't stay long with that teacher. You have a couple of grammatical mistakes: a run-on sentence with "You don't have to think about it, it's profound" (put a semicolon [;] or a dash there) and at "... art isn't hypocritical" (same suggestion.) I agree with you that art is not meant to be uptight, and your ending like is, in the words of e. e. cummings, "YES." Some of the best art came from the lowlies, such as in the Harlem Renaissance. Where I disagree with you is at one point, where you say that you shouldn't have to think about art to get it. Some of the beauty in art is dissecting it, and by thinking you find things you never see before, and it's like a geode- gotta do work to get the beauty inside (generally chucking it to the ground or with a hammer lol) But that's the only difference in opinion. Short and sweet, this certainly deserves an editor's choice :)
Minkerbell BRONZE said...
on May. 23 2013 at 4:18 pm
Minkerbell BRONZE, Sosua, Other
1 article 3 photos 45 comments
View profile
Very true! I enjoyed reading this piece of work because it flowed very well and overall, I agree with what you were saying. A piece of art should mean something to each viewer - it may not mean the same thing or bring the same feelings to everyone, but you shouldn't feel blank and emotionless when look at art. Along with every piece of great artwork comes a story, and the viewer gets to decide what that story is. I think that makes art really beautiful and meaningful.
Fallen_ PLATINUM said...
on May. 23 2013 at 4:14 pm
Fallen_ PLATINUM, Quakertown, Pennsylvania
25 articles 3 photos 433 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot; a shattered world is only an opening into a new beginning with laughs, smiles, and love all around enter the world of the light and away from the broken darkness&quot;

View profile
I like this no wonder the editors again amazing wordchoice and i love how as i read it i felt the passion behind it so well done mate. ( imagine in  an auzzzie accent)