What is art?

When considering the work of an established artist – work sold at a major action house such as Christie’s or Sotheby’s, say, Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha, or graffiti artist Basquiat, for example, armed with any knowledge of Post War and Contemporary art you immediately understand that you’re seeing something of value. And therefore, the painting that you’re gazing upon must be art. And indeed it is art, valuable art. That said; take a moment to look around you. Inspiration for creating great works is right there on the street where you're standing.
With an eye for composition and color in other words the eye of an artist study the façades of old buildings, street signs and sidewalks. Narrow your vision and imagine a frame as though you were looking through the lens of a camera. Snap. Now imagine this image painted on canvas. From the intangible vision comes a tangible picture. Regardless of any existing market value, dear reader, this too is art.
Consider Fountain, a 1917 work by Marcel Duchamp, a piece he called readymades (also known as found art) because he made use of an already existing object—in this case a urinal which he titled Fountain and signed "R. Mutt". He purchased the standard urinal from the J.L. Mott Iron Works, brought it to his studio at 33 West 67th Street, placed in a ninety-degrees position, deviating from its normal position of use, and wrote on it, "R. Mutt 1917".

Whether Mr. Mutt made Fountain or not has no importance. He chose it. He took an article of life, placed it so that its useful significance disappeared under the new title and point of view, thus creating a new thought for that object. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_(Duchamp)

Art is visceral. At the very least it should make you think. The history of the world is in paint, metal, and recycled and found objects. Love, war, death, longing documented on canvases, erected in metals, assembled and installed as works of art in museums and galleries all over the world, reminding us of our past, speaking to us of man and the environment, capturing that emotion we feel when watching a sunrise or the moon hovering over a mountain top..

Conversely, if nothing stirs within, no thoughts come to mind, when contemplating an artist’s work can we still call it art? Individual perceptions taken into consideration, that which resonates within us varies from person to person contingent upon personal experiences, education, and emotional capacity. Therefore, whether or not Duchamp’s commissioned work, Fountain, is thought provoking the fact that it provides fodder for discussion about the importance of ordinary objects seen out of context has allowed it to take its place in the world of art.

Great art doesn’t shout. You have to move in close and listen. Though the phrase art is in the eye of the beholder may be true, taking the time to understand an artist’s statement will often open new doors in the mind, allowing you the viewer to move beyond your own borders of comprehension.

The objective of a good art reviewer is not only to self-interpret, but to understand an artist’s inspiration when creating the work. Understanding the artist’s statement can expand our knowledge of the world and its inhabitants and connect us to the message that is relevant to the exhibition.

Now, go out there readers and take a new look at art and the world around you.
July 28, 1:25 PM · Rachael Lorenz - Portland Contemporary Art Examiner