Canto V

Canto V

Barnett Newmann

(1963)

"I hope that my painting has the impact of giving someone, as it did me, the feeling of his own totality, of his own separateness, of his own individuality." - Barnett Newman

"My child could paint that"

- and then there is people like this. 

Unfortunately, as much as I would like to disapprove of the above, truth of the matter is - YES your child could paint that. As a matter of fact, your child could have probably even elaborated a more complex and more aesthetically pleasing painting than Barnett ever could.

But the real question remains - Why do we value artwork the way we do? What determines the line between 'good artwork' and 'bad artwork'? 

Many people spend many years studying the aesthetics and lives of artists, they elaborate extensive analysis on one single painting and yet are able to make a living out of it. But, Why?

What is it about humans that make professions like this even possible? 

After all, art is merely unproductive labour with no intentions whatsoever to influence actions.

Yet, people like to go to museums, make riots and controversies out of paintings, commit murder, have sex and even make legal decisions based on the art market. 

Art is what we make of it. 

The reason why your 5 year old daughter's painting is not in a museum is because nobody really thought your child's work was worthy enough to be in a museum. 

Art is nothing but a crystal clear reflection of who we are as a society and who we are as individuals - nothing else.

Newman's successful simplification of art down to one single color or shape still amazes me up to this day.