Body Art
“Body” Art With so many different ideas, canvasas, and mediums, I cant help but ask the question: what is art? ... Instead of "art" being strictly paintings and sculptures, our definition has expanded and reached out much further than its beginning. ... Fortunately, I believe that this definition is not really needed because it allows each viewer to form their own definition of art and decide for themselves if they believe it is truely artwork or not. ... I define art as anything that is intended to portray something to a viewer on a medium. Although this definition may seem general, it helps to expand the possibilities of art and prove more ideas than the classic definitions. ... Many forms of criteria have been used to classify "art" and something that "isnt art". ... I believe that art needs to be representative. ... This can range from a peice of paper to a beer bottle and everything in between and the craftsmanship of the artist molds this medium into "art". ... Clearly many things can be considered as art, yet there are some that have been argued against. ... Many people continue to dismiss the idea of tattoos for various reasons (manipulation of the body, etc.), but I believe the criteria proves that they truely are works of art. Although the canvas for tattoos is unlike any other artform, they are considered forms of art based on my criteria because they are representative, clearly organized, creative, and they are portrayed through a medium. ... Unfortunately in the United States, many people immediately think prison or bikers, ignoring the beauty of the work of art. ... Tattoos are called "body art" for a reason. They allow us to use our body as a canvas rather than an alternate medium. ... “A large percentage of those tattooed reported that they were motivated to receive tattoos because of individual expression (40%) and art (23%)” (Millner).