When I think about art, I usually initially think of what I do or love that reflects it. I think about music, paintings, drawings, films, architecture, photography, poetry, theater, dance, fashion, and a lot more. Art for me is broad, and I know there are a lot of other ways where we can perceive art. It’s like this huge spectrum depending on how one can creatively express or convey a message without actually saying it in words. Art for me is more than just the final product or the final rundown of a show, it is in the whole journey — the thought and process to achieve something.
The first part of the first documentary started off by showing a mural. The mural, for me, is one of the most accessible forms of art as it can be accessed by anyone anytime. It expresses the freedom of the artist. Growing up, I’ve always been fond of murals. I think it’s a beautiful way to pop some color in a city full of greys. Meanwhile, some murals give off heavy messages which are honestly moving. I’m in awe of the fact that they make efforts to do these murals right when a few to no people are passing by with the intention to raise a message. It’s like magic that suddenly appeared leaving a mystery as to who did it and a mystery to its intentions.
“Art comes out of instinct, instinctive response, nobody teaches you to be an artist, you’re an artist or you’re not,” as stated in the first part of the first documentary. I agree with the first part. I believe that art comes from within one’s self. It’s our instinctive response, it’s something that feels so natural. When we express ourselves through art, it should not feel like a burden, I believe it should feel like an escape, freedom, and relief. On the other hand, I don’t think that nobody can teach you to be an artist. One can hone their skills if they have enough determination to do so. I believe that each and every one of us has our own innate ways of expressing art, some may disagree with this, thinking they don’t have the talent or skill to do so, but I think it’s just actually hidden there somewhere deep within them that they still have yet to discover. You can be thought to be an artist of something you want to learn. For instance, you’re fond of photography, and you have this burning desire to become a photographer, that’s why you enrolled yourself in a photography class or perhaps watched a bunch of tutorial videos online. See, a burning desire goes a long way, and I’m not talking about just photography because as I’ve watched this documentary, I saw different kinds of art forms, it’s like almost everything can be considered art. Art can be in the forms of film, sculpture, architecture, dance, traditional arts, photography, theater, performance art, painting, music, art markets, and many others.
The second documentary shown to us talks about the art market. I think there is only a few portions of our society that engages in this type of art. Besides the artists, of course, only those fortunate enough to participate in auctions are usually involved in the art market. I’ve always admired galleries and museums. As much as possible, I want to visit more, to appreciate the different art forms, usually paintings and sculptures. Even when I was younger, I knew that someday I’d collect paintings that are auctioned, especially ones from local artists. Through the documentary, I’ve gained wider respect for artists who participate in the market. I understood how hard it could’ve been, especially if the budget is tight, to actually find a suitable gallery to do the exhibit. As someone who wishes to become a collector someday, I understand now that buying, the greatest factor to consider is my connection to the art. I shouldn’t just buy it for the mere sense of investing. It’s better to understand and appreciate the intention of the art.
In the third documentary, I am reminded of how deep art could really be. I wonder how each of us perceives art. It makes me curious about what runs inside a person’s head when he/she tries to look at or understand an art piece. Some art deserves our understanding of the story behind why and how it was made, while some art depends on how we see it. I’ve read somewhere that each of us grew up in different environments, with different advice, and different experiences, and so who we become is molded by what we went through and believed into. That’s why I believe that we see things differently, and most of the time this is what makes others’ reasons valid despite their being different from us. I think this is one of the reasons why art is beautiful, it’s because it can be interpreted in a lot of ways and molded by a lot of complex and beautiful minds. Furthermore, as this documentary tackles how cultural art is very connected to our identity as people, it reminds me of how important and respectable cultural art is. I find this form of art as something so powerful because it holds our identity, our roots, something that could be passed on to generations. We must not let this art form die.
This activity really made me reflect on a lot of things not just with art but with life, especially the way I think and perceive what’s right in front of me. See, I think art makes the world go round. Art is everywhere. Most of the time, you don’t even know you’re doing art or being the art. I love that about art. It just goes to show how natural it is, something that makes the world world.