Art for Arts Sake

I was watching (between naps) PBS last night and saw a program on self-taught artists. The Scope of Art Today; The contrasts between schooled artists and those without any formal training are discussed by photographer Andres Serrano and others. It was very revealing, a great show that made me think a lot about art and how it affects me. And what I found most interesting were the comments from the viewers of the artwork. The interviewer was trying very hard to elicit responses from these viewers and most obliged him with wordy (and nonsensical) reviews of the works. As I looked at each piece, I could say that I liked it, or I liked it a lot, or perhaps I didn’t like it at all. These were feelings and that is what art is supposed to affect. No matter what the artist was trying to “say” with his work, it all boils down to how the art affects me. (And you) Art is always static, the viewers change.