Trash or Art.........this is the question?

hi gang.........
hope all is well in every one's world. As always, I seem to be doing a lot of nothing, OK not enough of what I want to be doing anyway. I was recently talking to someone, which I will not mention names.......I am not that kind of girl. OK.....yes I am , but not this time OK! anyway , this person was discussing with another person an experience they had. They were talking about a trip they had to make (as a truck driver) to deliver a piece of 'art' and they were elaborating on their opinion of 'art' and what they felt this particular piece of 'art' really was............a piece of s..t , something that a kid could make........I am sure you have all heard someone say it. Of course the topic of art is always one I am interested in and had to butt into the conversation, in my quiet polite way.........quit laughing, those of you that know me, I know you are laughing! I asked Mr. X what was the reason he was not impressed with this recently trucked piece of art. He went on to inform me through his great knowledge and insight of the art world and what it was and should be, and how this piece was just a big blob of metal basically that the 'artist' had welded or melded together, and how in god's name could that be art. He seemed pretty sure that he could do the same type of project with his eyes closed. Even worse was the fact that someone had paid a huge amount of money for it. Not wanting to go to deep into the delving of the art world and what art is to each person, but wanting to at least point out something............I mean, those of my friends and family would be very disappointed if I did not point out something of an opinion ,even if it is unwanted and unsolicited. I gave him the example of Van Gogh and the fact that the artist who now is so impressive and worthy , and his art pieces are impossible to purchase by us little minions. How those of us in the 'real' world by inexpensive prints of the famous artist's work and tack them in our art rooms or frame them and decorate our space with them. And I could not resist the desire to inform this person that this famous artist that, even he knew.........had never made a dime in his lifetime on one single piece of his art work. That I was pretty sure that someone in his time called it junk, s..t etc. I also gave the famous Salvador Dali who many, many thought was a fruit loop when he first started and all of sudden his quite 'unique' art took off. Now at least he was lucky enough to make a dollar or two in his lifetime, but there are many I think that make little or at least not enough trying to make and sell what makes their heart sing.
My son also gave me another reason to pause and then decide to write on this topic. He is the youngest of all 4 children and I admit is often the apple of his mothers eye. But he is also the one child out of all of my children, that I think was put on this earth for the sole purpose of keeping me humble. He does not hesitate to say what he 'really' thinks of an art piece , and often uses words that he knows will irritate me to no end ( and he always seems to be smiling while doing it), while looking through one of my chunky page books that I did in a swap (those that don't know what a chunky page is, it is basically a 4x4 page that is made on a thick piece of board and then done in whatever the theme of the swap is, using mixed mediums and lots of goodies to adorn it) he proceeded to go into a outpouring of knowledge on the level of art and talent of each of the artists, including mine. He proceeded to point out each page and a quote to go with each, 'this one I could have done in kindergarten, this one I could have done with my eyes shut......etc. etc. His girlfriend , whom like myself I might point out received an art scholarship when graduating from high school, spoke up before I could lam blast him , and said 'then you try doing it yourself, let's see what they look like'. I know now why I love her! then I lam blasted him anyway, just like I always do. So many people in this world really do not get it that the old saying 'art is in the eye of the beholder', 'one man's trash is another man's treasure' .....and so the sayings go are really famous quotes for a reason. I have always felt that if you look hard enough you can find art talent in everything and everyone. My family always looks at me strange when I pick up a rusty piece of metal off the ground and put it in my pocket..........'you never know what project I might need it for some day, I say when they laugh'...........or there is the many, many times while suffering through the hours of standing in the tool store, or 'whatever' store with the hubby (because I torture him in art stores and art departments, he says) and my brain starts doing it's own thing and I see an item that is used in mending a something or other as something that would be perfect in my art project. I love to go treasure hunting and look for goodies at yard sales, flea markets, antique stores and second hand stores just to look for that little something that I might find useful someday. All of you out there that are getting caught up in the 'Altered Art' world, myself included..........just hang in there, someday the rest of the world will catch up and catch on too, and it will be priceless to everyone, not just the few. Nothing is more exciting to me than to see how the simple collage work I did in high school and college has transformed and changed into the amazing beautiful art form that it is now.
So the moral of my madness I guess is this..........everyone is armed with the Art Gene, we just have to learn to look for it and enhance it. Many people show their talent in the way they decorate their house, their garden, their yard etc. How they arrange the dishes in the china hutch or on the knick knack shelf. Many show it in the way they wrap a package, or arrange the ornaments on the Christmas tree. Some show it in the way they paint their cars, their walls and how they hang their tools in the the garage. If something does not tickle your fancy, it just usually means you are unsure and unfamiliar with it. Try squinting hard and maybe just maybe you might see what the artist saw when making the piece of art. Art should not be just about the money, although money is nice, and it should not just be about what the public thinks is popular, although popular is nice, it should be about what emotion and feelings it brings out in the artist and the person looking at it for the first time. I tend to be one of those 'sentimental' type artists that loves to make things that make me smile or laugh. I am sure some psychologist will tell you it is the 'inner' child in me that has always wanted to show up, and took a few years to feel safe doing it. But I really don't care why I make it, as long as I love making it. There are so many artists out there that I can not hold a candle to, and I am sure there are some that have just started and may say the same about mine, but the reality is...........art is not what you think it is, it is what the maker and the admirer think it is. Maybe if we all tried to stop and see a little art in everything there is out there in the world, we could be a tad more tolerant of those that are different than ourselves. Maybe the 'Art Feeling' could over flow into our home lives, our work lives and all of our worlds as well. So to my son and anyone else that thinks that some little art piece is so easy they could do it.............I SAY DO IT, AND DO IT NOW, WHAT BETTER DAY THAN TODAY! friends in art, sandy