“Those who find beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope”
“Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital”
by Maddie Seren
For the most part I think I agree with the aphorisms by Wilde I chose. The first one really resonates with me, because the art I see, watch, listen to, and observe are all beautiful to me in different ways. The artist that creates the art must also think that their product is beautiful, or they wouldn’t have put it out for the world to see. I think that beauty is everywhere and those who also have that same mindset make more beautiful art for the world to become even more beautiful. With that being said, to me that signifies hope, hope that there are still people who see the good and beauty in every day life.
For the second aphorism, I believe that art is controversial, those who put out art for the world are always to expect feedback, whether it be good, bad, or both. All opinions and critique is good publicity regardless of what is said. Attention being brought up about a piece of art shows that it gets people thinking and that it creates a world of new perspectives that people share. Art is meant to be talked about, criticized, and picked apart and to show the goods and bads of life. Not everyone is going to love every piece of art and some will, and those opinions are meant to be shared and show how they are multifaceted.
One of my favorite artists is Harry Styles, he is multitalented and he has the awards and broken records to show for it. He is someone who seems to be either loved or hated, with few in-between. His main form of expression is through his music, although he does some acting too. In his songs, his lyricism tends to deal with his emotions while keeping it vague. Out of his three albums he has released as a solo artist, his first album, self-titled “Harry Styles”, I feel is his most raw and emotional. Although most of the songs on that album tend to be a bit somber, he finds way to bring beauty into some of his lowest moments. Whether that be through the lyrics, the melodies, or even the music videos. In his song, Ever Since New York, he sings about how he found out about the death of his step dad who he was close with. The lyrics are terribly sad, but the sound of the guitar and when he hits the high notes, you are able to hear and feel him work through an emotional time through his music. You feel his passion and love and feel the beauty and light he is bringing to the situation.
Although I believe his music to be beautiful and enjoyable, not everyone agrees with me, and that’s okay. Everyone is entitles to their own opinion. I go online and rave about him while sometimes others go online to discuss how they dislike him. Whether it be his music, the way he dresses or acts, or just the fact that he exists. Regardless of why people are talking about him, they’re still talking about him. There’s diversity in how people respond to his actions or his art. The biggest backlash he got was from wearing a dress in his Vogue cover. Those reactions (positive or negative) simply adds to the fact that art is art and is meant to be discussed and critiqued.