What makes you an art expert?

You may be asking yourself "What makes you such an expert on art?"

For the record, I'm not. However, I do love and appreciate art and want to share that love and appreciation with others. I spent my life surrounded by art. My mother is an artist, my grandfather was an artist, and my brothers and I are all artists. I would live in an art museum if they would let me! I spent part of my childhood in Europe and got to see some spectacular works of art and it all had a profound impact on me.

I hope to use this venue to get people to really think about art and what makes them like what they like and hate what they hate. I want to discuss the differences in art from other cultures and time periods. I want to hear from other people who are equally passionate about art and why. Ultimately, I hope to inspire others to create, create, create!!
 
One of the most valuable things I have learned about art is that its everywhere, as is the possibility of art. I'm a member of Deviantart.com and there are so many artists out there that have their own ideas on what art is. Some of the submissions are very amateur, but a lot of them are really interesting and creative. Most of us know that art is subjective; you may see a picture, sculpture or painting and think, "Nice, but it's not art" while another will see it and think it's a creative masterpiece. Think of some of the pop art you may have seen. I still debate with my mother over the art value of Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Can pieces she doesn't think it qualifies as art, but I do. However, she sees Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog as a legitimate piece of art so it seems to all be perfectly subjective.

I also would like to keep people aware that art isn't just something someone made because they could. Every piece has meaning. Some meanings are more profound than others, but that's another facet of art that I want to highlight in my blog. There is the work of Diego Rivera, who illustrated the plight of the worker in much of his work, or the Hudson River School who focused on the natural beauty of the untouched environment.

So, in closing, this isn't a scholarly blog (is there such a thing?) or an expert critique on art. Simply my point of view and hopefully those of others. I welcome your input!