Short answer – Yes. Why can’t it be art?
Chaos – a confused mass or mixture – Merriam Webster Dictionary
Art is… art, for lack of a better metaphor. Just to name a few – there is good art, bad art, simple art, and chaotic art. I’ve seen art that pleases me, repulses me, and makes me think, all in one piece. There is a strong history and argument for creating elegant art. Where there is beauty in the simplicity of elegance, there is also beauty in chaos.
In my last post I wrote of the need for elegant art… “…to be purely about the message being conveyed. We don’t want distracting clutter that pulls us away from the intent of the piece. For many of us, we want the piece of art to be a deconstructed production that simply conveys the pure message or intent of the creation.” I agree with that statement. But when is it acceptable to pursue the beauty of the “confused mass or mixture”?
We all live in chaos at times. Between work, family, politics, traffic, shopping, desire, disappointment, and other life’s bits, we both thrive and struggle through life’s messiness. If art is supposed to be personal to the artist and chaos is all about us, maybe by capturing it in art, we are making a little order out it.
For me, it all comes down to the intent of the piece of art. If chaotic elements makes it what the artist needs, then go for it. As I’ve mentioned before, not all art needs to be beautiful to be great. I think if it makes you think, then it has served a great purpose. Those thoughts may be of chaos and that is another important flavor of art.