The Whole Ball of Wax

I have never been artistically inclined, however I hold a strong appreciation for all art types. Although I got the athletic gene in my family, I still see art in a way that is deeper than the surface. In his article "The Whole Ball of Wax", Saltz raises the question: can art change the world? I would respond to that question with another question: what is the world without art? Art is everywhere; it is the buildings we live in and architecture of cities, it is monuments and historic parks and bridges, it is paintings hung up in museums or graffiti in a skate park, it is the movies that we love or Netflix shows that we binge. Bottom line is, art is everywhere, therefore yes, art can change the world.

Because art is more than a painting or sculpture, it deserves more respect than it is given, which is why I really appreciated the statement Saltz makes that art "has no less purpose or meaning than science, religion, philosophy, politics, or any other discipline, and is as much a form of intelligence or knowing as a first kiss, a last goodbye, or an algebraic equation". No, the Mona Lisa is not going to jump out and cure cancer or run for president, which is why the point that Saltz brings up about "changing global warming, stopping Iran's president from denying the Holocaust, or halting the spread of AIDS" is unfair. Art can indeed the change the world in its many forms that I  have mentioned earlier, but in the ones that it can't physically change the world, it influences. 

Because art is one of the biggest influences in our society, Saltz makes a statement that supports this when he says, "In other words, when we look at art, we're not only looking at it; we're also looking into and through it, into and through the paint, pigment, canvas, or whatever to something else". Art is not simply paint on a canvas. It has meaning. Somebody had to create that art and they were probably influenced by something previous. Art can have many meanings, and those meanings are in the eyes of the beholder. I appreciated this article because it challenged readers to think about how art can really change the world, and why it is necessary. Art is all around us, so how could it not influence, change, and be a necessity to this world? 


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