What is Art?

Eric Victorino, formally of Strata and presently of The Limousines, has this crazy thing on his Myspace where he's out to have the longest "About Me" section of all time. He's also highly opinionated, and reading his "About Me" really fascinated me. I disagree with a lot of things, but the fact that he actually has an opinion and sticks to it was really interesting. In the beginning of that section he wrote this:

"I'm on a mission, I don't know what the plan is or how I'll know when I've succeeded but I know that if the wheels aren't turning I would rather just get out and walk... I like to make things. I love to draw, paint, sculpt, sing and write - I'm not necessarily great at anything but being good at things isn't really the point. Art isn't just beauty, tragedy, happiness and hurt - it can be anything - sometimes sitting in a theater and absorbing a perfect movie can feel like making art because we are all part of the same big circle, together... making history. Violence makes me sick but so does watching people kiss if either one is left alone too long to feedback on itself. opposition is what makes balance make sense.

So sometimes I sing songs in front of people and sometimes I write down how I feel - I believe in the spirit of independent art."

This quote is beautiful and incredibly true. It is so easy to say, "wow, that person's really good at art." But is that really the point? Is it simply enough to be lucky enough to be born with the skills to take a good picture, make a good sculpture, sing like a goddess, dance like Doris Humphrey, or paint a beautiful painting? If it is, then why is art any different then the mundane? What makes art so different? Art has the ability to connect people who are nothing alike. Art has the ability to stir up any emotion. Art is therapeutic. Art saves lives. Can something this powerful really only require skill?

It's not like I actually have an answer, either. I think it's a matter of opinion. What art means to YOU.

So tell me, what DOES art mean to you?

♥