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Isn't it necessary for people to understand a work of art to appreciate it?

When I told an artist friend of mine that I try to create my works very simple because complex works of art and complex science confuse people and therefore they cannot understand it and that is also the reason why I usually add descriptions, he laughed and said: "It is not necessary and compulsory to understand art to appreciate or buy it. The more complex the art the better. It shows the artist is more intelligent than others. There is difference between the mind of an artist and that of a common man. It should show in the work of an artist". I am really surprised to hear this.
Usually people say they don't understand abstract art. Once I came across a picture of an abstract art work. I didn't understand anything about it. Even the title didn't help me. I showed it to several people and nobody helped me in understanding it. Then I thought what is the use of creating a work of art if people don't understand it? Okay, people appreciate visual treats that have the interplay of different light and dark shades of various colours in various patterns. One art critic said, "People who don't have good themes or who don't know how to
create good figures just splash some paint on canvasses and say it is an abstract art work". I am not an expert in art to critically analyse an art work but as a person from the field of science I often feel my work in science should be understood by even a common man and a child. When we write and publish research papers, they are filled with all complex scientific terms laymen can never understand properly. Very few people can read and understand my research papers and can relate to them. I feel very sad when I think about it. Scientists keep themselves surrounded by forts nobody can enter and even if they enter, people will be lost in the maze of scientific jargon. Scientists leave it to the media to explain things to ordinary people about the scientific inventions and discoveries. Media does it in the way it understands and sometimes even confuses people by reporting contrasting news without giving proper explanations. Therefore, there is a communication gap between science and societies. As a result people are unable to get all the benefits science brings into their lives.

My friend's reasoning doesn't apply to science-art and science based art because science communication is one of the aims of science related art. If you want to communicate something you better do it in the language people understand. If scientists think they need not speak the language of a common man to communicate science, the already existing gap between the scientific world and the ordinary world increases more. That is not the aim of science-art. On the contrary, it wants to bring bridges on the gap!
Similarly, if art becomes complex how can people understand and enjoy a work of art? Doesn't art distance itself from the societies it is originating from if it goes complex? Or is it not necessary for people to understand art to appreciate it like my artist friend said? Yes, if art works are just visual treats people need not understand them. But I feel people should understand at least my work to appreciate art from science & the messages it conveys. Don't you agree?

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I drive nuts every time I read that abstract artist do so because they don´t how to do it properly or simply they are lazy.

Abstract art is a different point of view inside of the classic art. I personllay think as Kandinsky said when he first saw a photo exhibition, figurative is dead. Of course that to understand a figurative art work is easyer that abstractions but, we must no forget that we´re talking about ABSTRACTIONS. Is abstrac art? Of course it is, and not only that, abstract art is contemporary art. To understand absctract you must put your heart on it as well as the artist did it.
Jesús María Serrano
If artists give descriptions about their abstract art works then people who see the works will understand them just the way artists who do them. Artists cannot expect everybody to understand their works in the way they do just by seeing them because different people coming from different regions & cultures will have different perceptions.

Jesús María Serrano Romero said:
I drive nuts every time I read that abstract artist do so because they don´t how to do it properly or simply they are lazy.
Abstract art is a different point of view inside of the classic art. I personllay think as Kandinsky said when he first saw a photo exhibition, figurative is dead. Of course that to understand a figurative art work is easyer that abstractions but, we must no forget that we´re talking about ABSTRACTIONS. Is abstrac art? Of course it is, and not only that, abstract art is contemporary art. To understand absctract you must put your heart on it as well as the artist did it. Jesús María Serrano
Dear friend,

Art doesn´t need any explanations. Contemporary art is pulsion or in other words, like experiencing a shock. The artist is there to show us what he feels.

I understand that is easier to sea a table, that looks like a table and if you touch it, it is table, that is what happens untill earlier 1900, what you see is what you get but, then appears in scene the modern genious: Picasso, Kandinsky, Pollock, Rothko, Willen de Kooning among others, people who demmonstrated thoroughly their domain of figurative art, starting researching new fields.

There is no controversy at all between figurative and abstraction, both movements are great. Do we have to choose one and forget the other? Simply not. A good way to understand both is to start with studies of figuratives, and we fill confident in this aspect go to the other. In case that this brief explanation serves you and you desire something else I´m ready to keep on talking about it.

Best regards from Andalusia, Spain.

Happy New Year!

Jesús María
Right, like I said visual treats don't need explanations. Even after giving explanations people who see my work sometimes don't understand it. Because science in art is something alien - something Greek & Latin to them. I did/still doing research on art collectors here. Most of the collectors I spoke to preferred figurative art. The reason they gave for choosing figurative art & not abstract art was they were not prepared to spend their money on something they didn't understand! Yes, some people go for works even if they don't understand it. But these kind of people are a minority here. At least I need to understand something to appreciate it. Yes, this shows perceptions differ from individual to individual, place to place & culture to culture.
Please read my blog "How Global Are We?" here on Art Lab to understand this better. Here is the link:
http://artlab.ning.com/profiles/blogs/how-global-are-we
Jesús María Serrano Romero said:
Dear friend,
Art doesn´t need any explanations. Contemporary art is pulsion or in other words, like experiencing a shock. The artist is there to show us what he feels.
I understand that is easier to sea a table, that looks like a table and if you touch it, it is table, that is what happens untill earlier 1900, what you see is what you get but, then appears in scene the modern genious: Picasso, Kandinsky, Pollock, Rothko, Willen de Kooning among others, people who demmonstrated thoroughly their domain of figurative art, starting researching new fields.

There is no controversy at all between figurative and abstraction, both movements are great. Do we have to choose one and forget the other? Simply not. A good way to understand both is to start with studies of figuratives, and we fill confident in this aspect go to the other. In case that this brief explanation serves you and you desire something else I´m ready to keep on talking about it.

Best regards from Andalusia, Spain.

Happy New Year!

Jesús María
Yes, you´re right. In our global world many times we´re gonna face with problems caused of cultural behaviours but that represents a great challenge to all of us.

Unfortunately I´m not a scientis and therefore in many discussions my point of view is worthless even the subject be something in which I might be interested on. The little I know is literature and arts but with these two main streamlines I can understand the world.

Jesús María Serrano
Karl Marx had said--- "Works of art,which represent the highest level of spiritual production,will find favour in the
eyes of the bourgeois only if they are presented as being liable to directly generate material wealth".
No doubt any art that promise a return of big bucks,will automatically be sought after.Even if a person doesn't understand the artist's concept,he understands the artists market value,and this is the reason for their being acquired.Dr. Krishna is right when she says "You need to understand art to appreciate it". But abstract art is by and large a happy accident waiting to happen.Not many people dig it these days,preferring the figurative instead.
But good art should have a bit of delayed comprehension to it. It should draw you back repeatedly to view it.With each return you should see more. But after all is said and done,it is not the artwork,but rather the artists personality that makes all the difference.
Look at Damien Hirst! A chain smoking,alcoholic with the worlds most vile mouth. He treats the media with utmost disrespect,yet he is the worlds living genius artist. His fabricators in London wanted to work with me on a project,but I'll need a really stout hearted sponsor to foot that bill. With rates that will make billionaires run for cover,you can't do much more than smile.
Anyway wishing all those at ARTLAB a fantastic NEW YEAR 2010. And thanks for your lovely greetings Dr.Krishna wishing you the same. GOD BLESS......PRINCE
Minnie is right. Why I´m supposed to get the same emotions than the artist when I face an sculpture? Who said so? I am a different person with different emotions.

At home, I do have a very good collection of works, most of them are abstracts but I do have some others, around 10 which are figuratives. Figurative and abstract are not fighting, they never did it.

I do prefer abstract because the artist give me ideas, emotions, suggest more than shows. This is what I like because the one who buys is as important as the one who creates. We´re are talking communications, art is pure communication like music, literature, theater, architecture.

I suggest to the forum to start thinking in communication as a value itself. The tree graces are marvellous but they are only The three graces, made centuries ago, within its time and for the people of its time. Actually, we´re living in a global world, where I write from Spain and Dr. is far away in India and, we never were formally introducing each other. Networks are marvellous to search what we like and dislike.

Happy New Year!

Jesús Maria Serrano

www.jesusmariaserrano.com
www.arteydesnudos.ning.com
www.manifestoceanico.ning.com
http://otrateoriasobreelhumorylasalud/blogspot

Minnie W. Shuler said:
Money always does seem to cloud the issue. Money aside, beauty vs understanding is a tough choice for appreciation. I think people see many things in the art of others, some of them not even remotely connected to what the artist was trying to convey. And, this is probably not a bad thing at all. When you speak of understanding the art...if you mean the art clearly conveys an inteneded message to to viewer...no I don't think that is necessary. If understanding the art means it represents something significant, whether intended or not, to the viewer then yes I think understanding or better yet relating to the art is a significant force in enjoying it and probably purchasing it. Sometimes particular art speaks to your soul and you identify with it with no clear understanding of just what it is about the art that attracts you so to it. Does this mean you do not appreciate it because you have not clear understanding of some "message" the artist is trying to convey? No, but you might appreciate it more with an idea of what the "message" is supposed to be.
I read somewhere that Hirst was just an ordinary artist until he met Charles Saatchi. It seems Saatchi made him great by providing all the money & encouragement & of course by thrusting greatness on him. The rest as they say is history. Hirst is a great marketing maverick who banked on this & he can shock people with his works.
Yes, most of the people who want to invest in art go for names than the art they produce. In such cases it doesn't matter whether a person understands art or not. People who go for decorative pieces don't bother about it either. They choose visual treats. However, some, who want to get inspiration from art will definitely want to understand art & the messages it conveys. Some art lovers who visited my shows asked me over & over again to explain the themes & messages of my work. Somehow I feel these people are really interested in art.

Prince Freakasso said:
Karl Marx had said--- "Works of art,which represent the highest level of spiritual production,will find favour in the
eyes of the bourgeois only if they are presented as being liable to directly generate material wealth".
No doubt any art that promise a return of big bucks,will automatically be sought after.Even if a person doesn't understand the artist's concept,he understands the artists market value,and this is the reason for their being acquired.Dr. Krishna is right when she says "You need to understand art to appreciate it". But abstract art is by and large a happy accident waiting to happen.Not many people dig it these days,preferring the figurative instead.
But good art should have a bit of delayed comprehension to it. It should draw you back repeatedly to view it.With each return you should see more. But after all is said and done,it is not the artwork,but rather the artists personality that makes all the difference.
Look at Damien Hirst! A chain smoking,alcoholic with the worlds most vile mouth. He treats the media with utmost disrespect,yet he is the worlds living genius artist. His fabricators in London wanted to work with me on a project,but I'll need a really stout hearted sponsor to foot that bill. With rates that will make billionaires run for cover,you can't do much more than smile.
Anyway wishing all those at ARTLAB a fantastic NEW YEAR 2010. And thanks for your lovely greetings Dr.Krishna wishing you the same. GOD BLESS......PRINCE

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