Ann Hamilton is an American contemporary artist who deals mostly with sculpture, installation, video art and performance. She is well-known for the fact that she has created a lot of expensive installations of large size. Realization of her artistic plans regarding these installations required the effort of a large number of volunteers. An example would be the installation of privation and excesses (1989), which consisted of 750,000 pennies immersed in honey (Ann Hamilton Studio, n.d.).
Ann Hamilton is another representative of art in this world who brings into it its independent view on what a beauty is. There arises a question – what is an art is and is it really important for people and the world in general. An average educated man would say that art is an activity that shows the beauty. It sounds quite obvious but it is indeed so. For an average person, it seems clear that art is a manifestation of beauty; and all the questions of art are explained to such a person with the help of the beauty of things that surround him. American painter Georgia O'Keeffe once said in her interview what art means for her: “Filling a space in a beautiful way. That's what art means to me” (O'Keeffe, n.d.). And we cannot but agree with her.
Art is a creative interpretation of the world by talented person. The fruits of this interpretation belong not only to its creators, but to all mankind living on the planet. Immortal beautiful creations of ancient Greek sculptors and architects, the Florentine mosaic masters, Raphael and Michelangelo Dante, Petrarch, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky This list can be continued for ever.
It is exciting when you try to recollect in mind everything created by geniuses, preserved by their descendants and followers. It is impossible to imagine that our lives would not be accompanied with art. No matter when or where a man lived, even during early stage of its history, he was trying to make sense of the world around him, and thus sought to understand and vividly and clearly convey this knowledge to future generations. And this was due not only the desire to protect his descendants from mistake already passed by ancestors, but to transmit the beauty and harmony of the world and admiration for perfect creations of nature. A bright example to this are cave paintings.
Humanity has not been marking time, it has moved forward and up; and so developed the art which has been accompanying an individual at all stages of a long and painful journey. For example, immortal creations of Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci still fascinate people with their perfection, plastics and deep knowledge of the role of man in the world where he is destined to go through a short, but wonderful and sometimes tragic journey.
Not only ancient creations attract our attention. We are constantly confronted with the works of art in everyday life. Ann Hamilton, for instance, is one of such artists who create art from ordinary things so widely present in everyday life. Further, by visiting museums and exhibition halls, we want to join the wonderful world, learn to understand, to see and absorb the beauty that has already become a part of our everyday life. Art is wonderful also because it is created by chosen ones, but belongs to the millions.
In my opinion, art is a figurative representation of reality, which main goal is the communion of a man to the beautiful, sensual and exciting, sometimes even to the inexplicable and contradictory. Various forms of art have to cause a variety of emotions, feelings and thoughts in the soul and mind of a man. Undoubtedly, the same work of art can cause completely opposite feelings in the hearts of people.
Art brings much reasoning and feelings into people`s minds and hearts. Art leads to changes in this world. Once it was said that “art does not show people what to do, yet engaging with a good work of art can connect you to your senses, body, and mind. It can make the world felt. And this felt feeling may spur thinking, engagement, and even action” (Eliasson 2016). Yes, indeed art provokes people to action and, hence, positive changes.
Art plays a huge role in our lives, as long as it makes us think about important issues and things happening around us, as long as it excites human consciousness and does not leave us indifferent. Art has a great influence on everyone`s life. Without it, life would be boring, monotonous and meaningless. Art brings beauty into this life!
Works Cited
Ann Hamilton Studio. “Privation and excesses, 1989”. annhamiltonstudio.com. n.d. Web. 8 Jul. 2016.
Eliasson, O. “Why art has the power to change the world”. weforum.org. 18 Jan. 2016. Web. 8 Jul. 2016.
O'Keeffe, G. “Art is”. mentalfloss.com. n.d. Web. 8 Jul. 2016.
