That Thing About Appreciating Art [What Art Really Teaches You]

To define it plainly, art is an expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture; producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power (definition derived on Oxford Dictionaries). For thousands of generations, art has always been a visual tool to communicate ideas, a reflection of history and culture. 

The art scene and culture has developed extensively in Jakarta over the last few years. Creative activities all around Indonesia extending from music, performance art, literature, design and visual artworks are all happening around us. Then the next question comes along, what does it really mean to be progressive towards this culture? How we learned how to embody a culture of appreciation towards this [seemingly cool] scene?  

It takes years and years of high quality and proper education to become an expert in a field of studies. I am in no way an art expert; but what I’d like to share today is an opinion derived from personal observations and experience. 

Read and Appreciate

Let’s admit it; we are a culture of instant consumption. We are so used to having visual references that we have slowly forgotten what is essentially the importance of art. We live in a world bombarded with so much information. These presented information has been so easily accessible that we forget the importance of research before learning the truth. To really appreciate art, is to understand the intention of the purpose of the art. What is the artist trying to tell you? What is the story that they’re trying to present to us? When you learn about the intention behind the results, you’ll then realize that there is a process behind every goal. Take your time to appreciate the process; an experience we have sadly become so unfamiliar with in the modern society.

Think and Appreciate

The best part about art is the intention of subjectivity; the world is your oyster and it is up to you to do what you want with it. Art allows you the freedom of what you interpret, how you interpret information and how you make use of that information. This is perhaps the best part about creative industry — the freedom of the thought process. We are shaped by different cultural backgrounds and what art creates is a provocation of the critical thought process. The next time you look at a piece of art — be it music, literature, visual artwork or sculptures; have a think. What does that piece of art mean to you? Does it make you happy? Does it make you feel a certain way and why?

Share and Appreciate

Creativity is a universal language; which transcends languages, culture and history. Art is meant to be shared and have fun doing it! Keep an open mind and value another person’s opinion even if they don’t fit entirely into what you believe in. 

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Understanding art isn’t the easiest thing — and that requires constant knowledge, appreciation and most importantly, an open mind. Art is subjective and will always remain that way to its users; and perhaps that is the beauty of art. There is beauty in how art can be perceived differently and in the communication it can provoke in many different users. Perhaps the next time you’re appreciating art, have a read, think and then share your perceptions and ideas with your friend(s). On another note, I'm also now a contributor on TheShonet where I'll be sharing some other articles about fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Do have a look and share your opinion on it please!