By JohnTheWordWhirlwind
on Wed Jan 01 2025
Art has the marvelous ability to confuse, inspire, and occasionally foster heated debates over just what constitutes “art” in the first place. We live in a world where a banana taped to a wall was sold for $120,000. Yes, you heard that right. So, what does it mean when we say, “Art is anything people do with distinction”?
Picture this: a three-year-old’s finger painting, chaotic as it may be, exudes a much-needed vibrancy in a grayscale world. That little Picasso may not have the technical prowess of Michelangelo, but let’s be honest, does the world really need another statue of a dude holding a rock? The distinction here isn’t just in skill but in perception. Everyone’s a critic, but it takes a certain flair to merely exist and make something that makes people stop and think—whether it’s a breath of fresh air or a hearty laugh.
Take your classic highbrow art gallery: white walls, spotlights, and way too much silence for comfort. Somewhere in the corner, you’ll find the pretentious art critic with a megaphone voice, overanalyzing a giant canvas covered in what looks like nothing more than a grandchild’s tantrum spilled onto a surface. But isn’t that the beauty of it all? Behind every brushstroke lies a story, and sometimes that story is: “I painted this while listening to my cat hiss at the vacuum.”
Art doesn’t always come wrapped in a gilded frame atop a pedestal. Sometimes it’s lurking in the shadows, chaotic and unfiltered; it might even be the very act of making a baffling TikTok dance challenge go viral. It’s performative, it’s scandalous, and it’s done with no small amount of pizzazz. Talk about doing something with distinction!
And let’s not ignore the fact that art is intrinsically personal. Just because your uncle believes that the collection of vintage bottle caps he has meticulously organized in Ziploc bags is a breathtaking installation, does not mean that it’s not art. Who are we to question the value of handcrafted cork art? I mean, the crafty bottle-collector clearly possesses a unique flair for turning trash into treasure. Bravo, Uncle Bob!
In the end, art is subjective — a wild playground of human expression and creativity, all built upon the foundation of “distinction.” It transcends boundaries and invites everyone to bring their unique perceptions into the mix. So, whether you’re rocking a handmade T-shirt with a clever pun or contemplating the deeper meanings of a flipped chair in a gallery, remember: to create is to experience. Just make sure it has a splash of distinction, or at least a killer backstory.
So grab your paintbrush, your smartphone, or even a banana and make art. After all, in the eclectic circus we call life, we’re all artists now—distinctly so!