Appreciating Art

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This may just be something you can't relate to, or maybe some of you can. I've never really been able to appreciate any real artistic paintings, photographs, statues, or... well, even what some consider beautiful things in nature. When a painter creates an intricate picture, I can appreciate the hard work and skill put into it, and the likeness to whatever the subject may be, but I don't get a feel from it, I don't get the meaning or the emotion that art is meant to convey.

That is, until I went to a Salvador Dali show in Philadelphia a few years ago. I have no idea why I went, as I can't stand art and don't get it, but I'm glad I did. I have no idea why, but everything just seemed so profound and really engaging. Many of the paintings had backgrounds which told what they were of, what Dali meant them to portray, some had no captions, and although I found my own meaning in some, even those that seemed to be senseless were still captivating. I have yet to see any other artist's work in any medium that I truly appreciate.

I used to love Dali when younger, especially the bent clocks and would draw my own Dali style images. I was pretty good at it, actually...but I also appreciate other kinds of art, especially pre raphaelite.

I'm really engaged by Dali as well. I also tend to find a good portion of fine art disenchanting, especially religious art.

lunchbox, what you describe reminds me of something i read in schopenhauers world as will and representation (third part: aesthetics): that artists are people who have a knack of seeing the "idea" behind each individual representation of the idea. like, the idea of the horse behind all the individual, lacking, real horses. these people use their vision to create their artworks, which serve as a "portal" to viewing the idea, so that less gifted people can see it, too.
therefore, the work of art can not be "replaced" by terms, like a description of the work, a reproduction etcetera.

one certainly can argue about the metaphysical claims and connections he draws, but the observation that really experiencing the artwork itself is something entirely different from reading about it, seeing a reproduction or being told what the artist meant with it.

this may have nothing to do with your point of view, but it just reminded me of that snippet. maybe you found it interesting.
and damn, its hard not to like dali. that guy was so twisted and certainly could paint well. (side thought: maybe its easier for an aspie to like dali because there isnt so much allegorical moral meaning embedded - its chaos without much sense. the likes of us could find that relaxing, i imagine.)

I hate most "classic" art but adore some digital paintings and goth art. It's all a matter of taste, no matter how much people want you to think something they like is unquestionably great.