I write this in response to the question Serena asked of me.  Namely, “Is art superficial if you don’t have an emotional response to it?”

I say no.  One may not like a work of art or respond to it in a favorable manner.  But that does not mean it’s superficial.  Any time an artist creates, he/she is giving up a little piece of his identity.  He’s telling you, “This is who I am.”  If you call his work superficial simply because you don’t have an emotional response to it is tantamount to denying his right to express himself and thus negating his existence.  For me, art is a means of expressing oneself and affirming a common humanity. 

There are other aspects to a work of art to admire or recognize.  One aspect is the talent it took to create it.  By that I mean brush strokes, the use of color, focus, attention to details, the choice of medium, etc… .  If you’ve ever watched an artist paint, draw or create anything, you know what I mean.  They make it look so effortless.  Back to my mom, she can sit down with a crayon and a piece of kid’s construction paper and make images appear.  It’s truly magic.  I’m always amazed at the way things seem to spring to life.  However, she is always tinkering with it.  She adds this or that to it and makes her creation even lovelier.  I’m usually happy with her initial creation but she always says she could make it better. 

I love art and would love to be an artist myself.  Believe me I have tried and the results are always diasterous.  I respect artists and the process they go through in creating their art.  It is truly a gift.  Maybe they know this and want to share it with the world.  Maybe they just have a need to share themselves.  Whatever their motivation is sharing their creations, I’m glad they do.  Without art, the world would be dull and lifeless.  What is important to me is that they keep sharing it.  It’s okay not to like everything.  However for me it is important to respect the artistic process.