What is Art? What is Art's Purpose? Why?

  Why would someone record a scene of simply eating? Why would anyone want to watch it?

What is art? What is its purpose?

Those are questions I've attempted to answer for years.

Is a Lamborghini or Apple Watch art?

It's easier to answer the second question, first: Art’s purpose is to express consciousness. That's it.

Which leads us back to the first question, "What is art?" It's been said, "Art is what you can get away with" but that's a bit nebulous.

Simply put, art is anything we create for others that can standalone. Art does not need to serve any purpose, other than existing, like a sunset.

Is a diary or personal journal art? I'd say no, since it's private. Rather, art is that poem we wrote which we shared with others, but never intended to sell. It's a photo, prose, performance, or painting that captures the moment.

What about the iPhone? Is that art?
Again, I'd say, no, it's not pure art. Art, with function, isn't so much art as it is design.
Design is art with function. It's how things work from the outside in.
Engineering is technology with function. It's how things work from the inside out.

There's nothing wrong with asking why. But, anyone who asks, "Why?" without the true intent of understanding more, doesn't get it. And that's okay. Not everybody understands everything, but at least have an open mind.

Art is so unique that it would not be missed if it were never created; yet its existence expands our experience with creative beauty. Words, paint, or notes of music, all created from nothing, for nothing, other than to exist, makes art. But that, alone, does not make great art which depends on both content and context, as the above video clip demonstrates. I reproduced the context of eating, but I can't reproduce the content of being Andy Warhol.

And who could forget when violinist Joshua Bell played at the Union Station train station in DC? Without the context of a symphony hall, no one appreciated his music.

Epilogue: Jørgen Leth speaks about his experience filming and directing Andy Warhol.

Credit: Big thank you to M. Thorsen for recording and editing this video.

The Hidden Gems of San Diego

I've lived in San Diego, on and off, for close to 20 years and I'm always on the lookout for new places to explore. This past weekend I uncovered several gems.

Friday: Latino Film Festival

Instructions Not Included

Friday night's showing of Instructions Not Included at the Jacobs Center was a pleasant surprise, especially since I don't speak Spanish.

I highly recommend this English subtitled movie. It's the highest-grossing Spanish-language film released in the United States. This movie is an unpredictable comedy that will tug at your heartstrings so keep a tissue handy.

The Jacobs Center for Innovation community center is a hidden gem I'd never been to. I can see myself attending more events at this venue.

Saturday: Kate Sessions Park

Kate Sessions Park

Last week's celebration of coworking culminated with a BBQ at Kate Sessions Park. I've never been here before. It has panoramic views of downtown San Diego, including the Coronado Bay Bridge and Mission Bay. This would be the perfect place to watch Fourth of July fireworks or simply seek solitude and inspiration.

Sunday Morning: Black's Beach

The way to Black's Beach

In the mid-1990s I had a running mentor, Harry Hunt, at the Orange County Track Club. He talked me into my first ultra-marathon in 1996 – the 50K Mule Run in Bishop, California. On the roadtrip to Bishop, Harry told me about his experiences frolicking in waters of the Pacific at Black's Beach. For nearly 20 years this item was on my bucket list.

Getting to Black's Beach is not a casual walk in the park. It's a secluded beach requiring a hike down the cliffs beneath the Torrey Pines Glider Port. After all, one does need privacy in these matters. It seemed that nearly everyone at the beach was a content provider, but it is optional.

Swimming in the Pacific under these conditions is quite liberating. A few things stood out. First, the regulars are well groomed and have very even tans, especially compared to my farmer's tan. Second, there's simply no way to casually stand in knee-deep water without looking awkward. I was surprised how unnatural we look in our natural state. And, finally, I made no eye contact with my fellow frolickers – this takes some getting used to.

Sunday Afternoon: In the Heights

In the Heights

This musical, performed at the San Diego Junior Theatre in Balboa Park, was remarkable. At first I thought the performers were college students. After the intermission I learned that they were in high school or younger – one of the leads was only 13 years old. With beards and gray hair they looked like full grown adults. It was only after the play was over, when I met the cast, that I fully appreciated they were simply kids in makeup and costume.

Sunday Evening: Ice Cream Social

Beer floats made with Guinness

There's no better way to end a summer weekend than with my fellow co-workers from 3rd Space at an ice cream social where I tried my first beer float. To be honest, it was meh. It tasted like beer and ice cream mixed together. Imagine if a pancake tasted like flower, baking powder, milk, etc, instead of an actual pancake. But we were just winging it. I hear that my neighborhood chocolatier, Eclipse Chocolate, does justice to a beer float.

Finally, I have to thank Junvi, not only for photobombing my beer float picture, but also for the great Q&A write up she gave me last week.

First Attempt at Shadow Art

I've always been fascinated by shadow art. This afternoon, I tried it for myself. I guess that I don't need to sign this work of art since it's self-signing.