form | Outside The Lines

Is there a limit to what can be considered art? It is very likely that there will never be a consensus on that question. Every person has his or her own opinion of what constitutes art. For Pearl Fryar, art doesn’t merely exist in the form of oil paints on a canvas or chalk pastels on paper, it exists in a most unusual place: His garden.

In 1984, Pearl Fryar wanted to win the “Yard of the Month” title in his community. In an effort to do that, he began creating a garden that would one day become what it is today: a three acre topiary wonder. Possessing only desire and no training, Fryar set out to purchase plants for his garden. He took home the raw materials of his soon-to-be feast for the senses as well as a three-minute lesson in topiaries. From those basic resources, Fryar created a garden that is as true an art form as one can find.

Years after he had started crafting his garden, people began to tell Pearl Fryar that he had broken the rules of horticulture in the creation of his art. By that time, he had cultivated a masterpiece that was drawing major attention.

There is something about art that intrinsically draws people to the divine and eternal. The art that resides in Pearl Fryar’s garden is no different. Each week 300-500 people flock to his garden with all the fervor of those pursuing a weekly service at a church or temple. Fryar commented that he considers his garden as much a ministry as any place of worship.

Bente Borsum said, “Art knows no limit, and the artist will never achieve perfection.” How true that statement has proven itself in the life of Pearl Fryar. His garden art has outgrown the limits of what is considered a “traditional” art form, and even proceeded to touch the human spirit. As far as achieving perfection in his craft, Fryar seems to know that he never will, and he is not concerned; that is not his goal.

What is Fryar’s goal for his garden art? In his own words, “The idea is to leave this garden with a message, to feel differently than you did when you started.” Pearl Fryar wants those who come into contact with his art to be changed; isn’t that the desire of all true artists?

http://www.scetv.org/index.php/etv_sumter/entry/pearl_fryars/

http://quote.robertgenn.com/getquotes.php?catid=176

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When you think of the word “art”, what comes to your mind? Picassso, painting, drawing, Michelangelo, photography, and….video games? Most people would probably not associate that last term with art. But the truth is, video games are being acknowledged as an art form. In fact, the Smithsonian American Art Museum is so convinced of this that it is currently hosting an exhibit called “The Art of Video Games”.

The Smithsonian’s increasingly popular exhibit features about four decades worth of video games. It displays games created in the 1970’s and 1980’s, such as Space Invaders, Pac Man, Combat, Super Mario, and Pitfall, and later games such as Heavy Rain. The exhibit is interactive, and most people come not to observe, but to play. “The Art of Video Games” has been such a smash success that there are plans for it to move to 10 other cities.

One of the reasons the Smithsonian decided to acknowledge video games as works of art is the sheer prevalence of them in the modern world. Betsy Broun, director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, pointed out that up to 6 million copies of a single video game have sold in just one day. Obviously, there is something unique about video games that captures people, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum wanted to find out what that was and expose it.

But what is it about video games that is so artistic? To find the answer to this question, begin by considering the games’ images. “Indeed, when you look at some of the images from games, they can resemble moving paintings, from abstract to figurative to landscapes.” There are probably dozens of artistic features in your favorite video games; it is just a matter of recognizing them.

The intense creative process that must take place for a video game to be born is another validation of a game’s artistic nature. After all, art is always the product of some type of creative work, no matter how simple or intricate. In the case of video games, the process of creation tends to be quite complex.

By creating “The Art of Video Games” exhibit, the Smithsonian American Art Museum is challenging people everywhere to open their minds and hearts to the possibility of new art forms. The droves of people that are visiting the exhibit are proving that they believe video games are works of art — do you?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57399522/the-art-of-video-games/

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