It is not Art

Featured image: On the Fence

It is not art.

Many say my work is not art. Well, since they often sound like they know what they are talking about in so many things, I may be tempted to agree with them... sometimes.

But, most people don’t know what they’re talking about when it comes to art. If they think that they know art and understand art, and then they call something “art” or “not art”, I say, for the most part, they know nothing about art and what art is. They only call it art because they are told it is art. But honestly, all things called art aren’t art, they are merely  technê.

If someone thinks they understand art enough to say my work is not art, then I believe they need to  label something in order to understand it,  control it and to  sound professionally professional.  Most times, their label is way toooooo small to define something as complex as art. Every time someone labels something, anything,  they, put it in a slot;  like a mailbox, like a category in science, and they destroy, actually take away, the freedom of whatever it is that they are labeling. As I said they are labeling it just to be able to control it and most of the time sell it. Labeling is great for communication and science but not art. For as long as I have been an artist, historically “art” has avoided definition. Why?  Because the concept of freedom cannot be labeled. Think about it – I mean really, REALLY, think about it – if you label freedom, it is no longer freedom but something else. And for as  long as I have been studying history and what is understood as art  - art has avoided labeling and categorization. 

I think back at what happens to “art” once something grabs the title of “art.” It becomes replicated because it is cool.  But the copy can never, never be “art.” And that is why many things that are being called “art” are really technê.

It is  ok to copy “art” but it is not ok to then call  what you copied art.  Think about it, can you be copied? The unique, personal being you are, can never, never be copied. You are unique and one-of-a-kind. You should always think of “art” as unique and one-of-a-kind. Your uniqueness, your one-of-a-kindness, can never be  labeled  i.e. let's all be Christine Alfery, (put your own name here)- it would be impossible.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Always, ALWAYS, think about that when you read or hear something being called “art.” It really is merely technê here. It’s  something being called “art” when it really isn’t.

I can tell you what art is not -this I have found is  the only way to tell you what “art” is.