WK 13- Essay 2- Art!

At the beginning of the semester I saw art as a means of creation. This is because humans love to create; additionally, art is unique to humans as no other animal creates art. In the beginning of the semester I thought art gave anyone an avenue to leave a visible mark on the world. This includes spray painting, sculptures and of course drawing and painting. I also believed art is whatever people could argue. I’m evidence based, if someone can articulate why something they created is art I may regard it as such. Although I do believe my past thoughts on art are still valid my opinion has grown in depth. Now I think art is the physical or visual representation of how someone feels or how they see the world. After seeing how people become so emotionally ingrained into their work or even their equipment, I realized how shallow my initial response was. Art is truly something more than creation and although I have had art classes in the past none have made me reevaluate how I theorize it. Art is something I can be proud of as it is a visual representation of my skill with a pencil. I also chose very powerful pieces to draw my inspiration from this semester everything I drew had a story or a meaning. Art is how I feel, who I was, and who I strive to be. It is how I feel because sometimes when I get emotional, I draw. It is who I was because in the past I have pieces which show how far my skill has improved. It is who I strive to be because every time I pick up the pencil or brush, I want to be better.

My major is criminal justice. My career goals are to work for the federal bureau of investigation. To get there I will have to work in a local department for several years before I even fill the requirement to apply. Art can help me within my major because there are many disciplines within art which are applicable. First is photography, this staple of art shows crime scenes as there are with all the gruesome reality of the scene; it provides images words fail to describe. Sketching is also useful as a crime scene map provides scale and places each piece of evidence in relation to another. An excellent crime scene map is easy to understand and valid inadmissible in court. The skills I have learned within art I can be a better photographer and a better sketch artist.

Art can enrich my life through its ability to take me away from reality. Once I start drawing or coloring, I’m gone. It allows me to pour all of myself into something without regard for my environment, my prior thoughts, or concerns. Art has enriched and will continue to enrich my life because it serves multiple purposes. I work myself to death sometimes and I need to learn to pump the brakes and take it easy every now and then; art fits this niche for me while still being something I can be proud at the end of the process. I think if more people would participate in art the world would be a better place. It doesn’t matter if the artist is great or terrible the significance is if they feel accomplished in the mark they left on the world. This feeling of accomplishment or pleasure is what makes us human.

Art is important because I know I am not alone when I say I grow as a person when I create art. Many of my classmates have suggested art has helped them cope with stress or simply express themselves. I will also resort to a historical example; Hitler was an artist who applied to an art school. History shows he was denied and later became a mass murder. Does this mean everyone who is rejected from an art school will become a Hitler, I hope not. It does beg the question if he was accepted would his life play out differently. To reiterate, art is the means of creation and creation is pleasurable, everything else is a bonus.

A great nation does deserve great art. I think it is a way to say the people within this nation can express themselves in the purest means available. It is also a slight boast as if a nation is known for churning out great artists it could be assumed there are excellent art institutions there. If a nation has the time and resources to develop art schools, it’s a sign all the other issues a nation has have either been wrestled under control or have been solved. Nations struggling to provide clean water to its people are not concerned with art as survival is more important. So, a nation which has secured itself and is focused on becoming the best version of itself deserves great art.

This semester I have learned a lot about my classmates myself. I have found a new appreciation for art in several ways. The first would art itself and how diverse it can be. Simply said, art can be print, sculpture, and traditional. The second way would be how art is something different to everyone; nearly every person in class got something they needed out of drawing, painting, or creating. Finally, I also learned the best way to improve is to practice and put the time and work into an assignment. The future for art in my life is guaranteed; I plan to draw or sketch until I die because it gives me a sense of peace and focus few things do.