What is Art? Part III

What is Art?

  By: Dioska Ceballos Group 2

VIK MUNIZ

Marat (Sebastiao) Pictures of Garbage, 2008

       Unframed: 231.2 x 180.4 cm. (91 x 71 in). Framed: 238.5 x 188.7 cm. (93 7/8 x 74 1/4 in.

My view on art hasn't changed. Art can really be anything and I would define art as how far can your imagination go. To me that is what art is all about, creativity and imagination. It is a form of self expression. Many feelings go into what an artist creates. It is a skill to be able to express whatever it is that you see or feel and put into a visual form such as a painting, portrait, or a sculpture. It is something that is produced. Art is a form and a content that can range from a lot of things of much different significance. Art has many different points of views and depends on the eye of the beholder. There is no definition really of what art is because art is art; it is whatever you want it to be.

This artist Vicente José de Oliveira Muniz also known as Vik Muniz was very interesting to find and read about. To him “one man’s trash is his treasure.” He was born in 1961 in Sao Paulo, Brazil of a low class family. He is a visual artist now living in Brooklyn, New York. His career started as a sculptor in the mid 1980’s. He was best known for his works in the series Pictures of Chocolate 1997 and Pictures of junk 2006. Vik Muniz uses images that serve the basis of his artwork from the works of other well known artist. For example, using everyday objects such as jelly and peanut butter in his creation of the work of Mona Lisa. There is a documentary called Wasteland that captures one of his biggest works on one of the largest garbage dumps in Rio de Janeiro. This documentary was nominated to the Academy Award. He also received artist choice at The MOMA 2008.

My reflection on his works is that I really enjoy the fact he uses garbage, or chocolate, or jelly, or peanut butter in his creations. The image we decided to use is of garbage. Who would have thought that art can be garbage? To me I never thought to be true but now I know that yes it can. Recycled products can replace many things also and be used in other ways not just paper. It can be used as art. I love the fact he uses everyday materials and turns that into art. That is very creative. Also what makes it heartfelt is that Muniz has worked with a group of laborers who live from scavenging recyclables in creating large-scale portraits using the material that is most familiar to them. That makes it be much more meaningful to what he does and what he wants to be shown in his art.

The work of the MOMA is a true piece of art. It’s a place, a museum, where creativity and inspirations takes place and that to me is what art is all about. 

Working together and reflecting what art is as a group and presenting was something I enjoyed very much. I hope we can do this again! Its a different way of learning.