Activity 7.3- Reflection

 

When I look back over the past seven weeks of this course, I am struck by a recurring realization, every theorist we studied offered a distinct vision of what art is and what makes it meaningful. While there were moments of overlap, each thinker ultimately approached art from a different angle, shaped by their own assumptions and priorities. I’ve come to believe there isn’t a single correct answer to the question of what gives art meaning. Art can carry countless purposes, ideas, and interpretations. For it to be meaningful, I think only one of two things need to occur, either the artist experiences insight or emotional transformation through creating it, or the viewer gains something from encountering it. We do not have to like, agree with, or find value in every artwork. Our preferences, histories, educations, and cultures all shape how we see and interpret art.

This course has pushed me to think more critically. Some of these theorists were familiar to me, but many were not. To understand each perspective, I had to temporarily adopt their point of view, which forced me to look at art through lenses I would not normally use. That process has broadened the way I approach and evaluate art.

At the beginning of the course, I was hesitant about writing my responses in a blog format. I had no prior experience with blogging, and the idea of putting my thoughts out into the world felt intimidating. But as the weeks passed, I found myself enjoying the process. The format makes it easy to revisit earlier ideas, and I’ve started to wonder whether I could continue the blog beyond this class, perhaps using it to collect written assignments throughout my graduate program. It could become a meaningful record of my progress and evolution as a thinker and a writer.

In the end, this course has broadened how I understand and experience art, and the blog has become an unexpected but meaningful way to track my growth.