Monday 8 July 2019

Art appreciation

Here we go with another comic homage to my dear friend, Dave. Regular readers (hi Mom! And two or three others) will know that I get Dave into these comics once in a while because (a) we do comic-worthy activities together IRL, and (b) he was the guy who not only kicked my butt into getting this webcomic started, he helped me get it up and running, and is responsible for the groovy blog layout you are enjoying right now. He is also a comic creator of the monthly comic, "And yet I blame Hollywood", which appears in The Buzz, blogger of horror cinema at his blog Bloody Terror, and creator of music, art, film, short fiction writing, and theatre. What a guy!

Today's comic, "Art appreciation", is based on me and Dave and a real visit to a real art gallery, but highly exaggerated for comic reasons. Dave and I really do appreciate art and art galleries, and although we have some different tastes and preferences, we thoroughly enjoyed the art and the experience.

However, this comic does bring up a point I've been contemplating all my life: What is art? I still haven't figured it out. I go to art galleries all over North America and Europe, and I fancy myself to be a bit of an artist (interested readers can find my humble efforts at Jenzel Art) (very humble efforts! - Ed.), and I have many friends and acquaintances who are professional and amateur artists. And I've had endless conversations with artists and art appreciators asking, "What is art?" and have received a multitude of responses. Is the work of Henri Matisse really art? What about David Shrigley? Maud Lewis? How about comics? Discuss.

If you have any thoughts on the topic, feel free to comment below!