Example Essays Home

FAQ

Acceptable Use Policy

Tech Support

LOG IN!

Click HERE for Instant Access

This is a free preview of the paper.

Join Now
Log In

Ben Shahn

My understanding of Ben Shahn is that he is very disliking of the fact that some artists are taught how to be an artist rather than just being their kind of artist themselves. If not that then he is simply comparing the fact that some artists are taught in college and schooling certain ways and skills in their artistry, rather than simply using their own skill and self-talent. It occurred to me that most of the classes I have really allow my personality and ability to come through. With class, we are allowed to let our personalities to escape in our artwork, but with guidelines in which we learn technique. Not technique in how we go about completing the project, but in composition, spacing, and other such “ingredients.” To me it is very necessary and I think very important that we do not give rules to art. Is that not what makes art? It surely seems that that would be what gives us different art periods and movements. If we do not have change how could artist such as Monet, Picasso and Dali be so different and yet so accepted?

I must say that I do agree with Shahn in saying that colleges can change a true artists way of artistry. They do seem to mold in some cases a person’s actual and true talent and skill. It

Society also molds into us what is acceptable and what is the “right ways” in artistry. Whatever is appealing at the moment and whatever seems to be the new highly different way is what seems to be acceptable. Although I cannot name any artists in this style, I think my next example is a decent instance of what I mean. Say an artist buys a canvas and some oil paint. He goes to his studio and works on this canvas. It is seen my one or two individuals from the art scene. They fall in love with it and therefore it is placed in a gallery along with more works of this same nature. As a viewer, I walk into the gallery and see large pieces of canvas hung on the wall with splatters and drips of paint all over them. Societies and communities along with individuals with high prestige are telling me that this is excellent and marvelous artwork. I frankly find it very elementary and think that I could have my two-year-old cousin do just as marvelous of a piece of work. Is society right and I wrong? How can we ever know what is truly a marvelous piece of work? The society tells us what is acceptable and what should be praised and worshipped as grandiose.

An artist, or a person studying and aiming to be an artist for that matter, is molded and influenced greatly by his background and environment. I think that had I not grown up in such a beautiful area, I wo

Some topics in this essay:
Picasso Dali, Spain Mexico, Ben Shahn, , marvelous piece, marvelous piece society, remember lifetime, artists taught, piece society, “right ways”,