I actually got the whole gang out for dinner last night.  It was last minute and not very fancy but all three sons, two daughter in laws and grandson gathered at Village Inn to eat on short notice.  I always get a kick out of watching my boys get together as the conversation can go just about anywhere.  For awhile it was about Westworld which turned into a discussion of the original with Yul Brenner and all of his films, which turned into The Ten Commandments, then Charlton Heston and finally all the way to a connection to John Wayne.  You have to be quick to stay with these guys.

They try not to get into conversations about religion or politics anymore, for while they are all well read and not the least bit apathetic about what is going on, they all come from completely different points of view and things can get heated.  Not SO heated that they can’t give each other a hug afterwards.  But last night, my oldest went in a completely different direction and asked, “so David, you’re an artist. How is a completely white canvas art?”

This set up a very interesting conversation about art and music in general.  What is art?  Who decides what art is?  Who decides which art is valuable and which art is not?  Is it about technique or is it about the meaning behind it?  The conversation was fast and furious, with everyone getting involved.  Art speaks to people and everyone has an opinion based on whatever level of knowledge they may or may not have.  I wonder sometimes if those of us who have extensive knowledge in one area or another are a bit jaded whenever something new comes along?  What if it doesn’t meet the standards of what we’ve come to believe is “good” art or “good” music?

So is a Renoir better than a Picasso?  Is Beethoven better than John Cage?  Can’t anyone write 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence?  Can’t anyone paint a distorted face?  How about a plain white canvas?  Do we dare silence creativity because it’s odd or different?  After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

And that’s the key, isn’t it?  I may look at a piece of art that may be pretty mediocre technique wise, but the hummingbirds on it remind me of my. grandmother, so it speaks to me.  A piece of pop music from the 70’s plays on the radio and I’m transported to a happy place and time.  It’s not the greatest piece of music ever written, but it speaks to me.  And who knows, hummingbirds may be special to the person who painted them or the song may tell a story from someones’s life.  It’s a human connection that goes beyond the art form itself.  Art and music are a conduit that connects people.

How else can we explain why thousands of people gather to hear a particular artist perform or hear an orchestra play pieces by a particular composer.  Why else do people gather at art galleries when they show paintings from one of the Masters?  Sure, I think it’s important to have some background knowledge before listening to or seeing these things, but sometimes you just need to listen to or look at it and see how it speaks to you personally.  Your interpretation may be completely different because you come from a different place, and in the arts, all interpretations can be valid.

So is a pure white canvas art? Well, I’m no art expert, but in music, the definition of music is “sound organized in time”.  That could be the sounds of my dishwasher right now.  Is it music?  It’s all in the ears of the beholder.