From a class covering the arts I’m enrolled in this semester, to another class on the history of American film, to working with the arts and entertainment department for the Marquette Wire, I sense a very artistic semester is upon me. Art is something that has always interested me, whether it is film, television, photography, painting, or yes, even the catchy bubblegum pop anthem currently topping the Billboard charts. Art is a broad term, specifically because, while there may be a dictionary definition for the word, on most occasions, two or more people never agree on what constitutes “art.” That is the mysterious and eclectic nature of art. Art could be anything from your favorite song, painting or that TV show that you can’t wait for its new season to start (“Scandal” fans, I’m looking at you.)

In my years as someone constantly in search of new happenings related to the art and cultural world, I believe that art is subjective to someone’s taste. No matter if you hate the film or can’t stand the song, art is something that successfully captures emotions and sparks discussion. A formidable and cohesive work of art is one that provokes a reaction, a sentiment, whether it is happiness, anger, fear or sorrow. When art can convey emotion, it has achieved its purpose. Odds are you have met someone who does not share the same tastes and distastes as you. Still, what is so admirable about art is that there is variety. There is art that pleases everyone. There may not be a rulebook or a list of guidelines that an artist has to comply with so that his or her work qualifies as “art,” but if it transmits a message, if it speaks to the masses, then it can be considered a fine work. As Pablo Picasso once said: “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”