Thats Not Art
Thats Not ArtCandeau, French for gift is not exactly what one thinks about when hearing the word. Candeau is a free-standing sculpture composed of an ordinary, manufactured iron made from black cast iron, the kind that could have been purchased in any store selling housewares in the early part of this century. The appearance of the flatiron is changed merely by a row of sharp tacks glued along the underside from top to bottom. Philadelphia-born artist Man Ray created in 1921.
My idea of art matches that of the modern view, where aesthetics or emotions evoked when viewing a piece of art are the main criteria for believing something is really werthy of being called art. As a viewer, I believe art should show a great deal of creativity, something that shows the artist has a tuned talent. In other words, art is to me something I could not simply throw together myself in five minutes flat, aside from the time it takes for the glue on a row of tacks to dry. Aesthetics obviously did not play a role in this sculpture, nor did the expression of any meaningful ideas or feelings. I do realize that not knowing the history of this piece or of its creator changes what I see when looking at this sculpture. When I view the iron, I see it as a meaningless object that does not appear...
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