Abstract Art

I try not to stress myself over the billions of things that I either don't know or understand. I try to keep life as simple as possible. Period. Life has enough problems of it's own, which is reason enough not to add to them. Right now, I'm in a coffee shop, thinking of what to write about. It didn't take long to notice the vast array of over 30 abstract paintings hung all over the wall, most of which were retailed at over $600. Now, I don't know if it's just me, but I personally can't justify paying a couple week's paycheck on a canvas that looks like some painter just sloped random colors on it and called it some extravigent work of art. I spent over 5 minutes just trying to guess what this one particular painting was trying to portray. Was it a nuclear explosion? A really bad hairdo? Instead, when I took a closer look at the painting's description, it turned out that the painting was supposed to be a blow fish. A blow fish? I mean, cummon. In a fit of frustration I left my soft couch to continue surveying the paintings that seemed to clutter the walls. Was that painting a resemblance of chocolate? A sheperd? Some distant forest? Out of the 30 paintings, I managed to guess only one of the paintings. After I finished examining the final painting, it finally hit me that abstract art's purpose, as far as I was concerned, was to make the observers confused, but only at first. Abstract art in many ways, is more complicated than normal paintings. Normal paintings of people or scenery communicate much easier to the ovserver because the whole intent behind the painting is to be as blatantly obvious as possible. Abstract art, in many ways, is more fun and challenging to look at because it requires at least some imaginative thinking in order to intrepret the painting. I quickly resolved to put my previously naive and ignorant attitude towards abstract art away for good. Instead of flatout dismissing it as a sloppy mockery of normal paintings, I instead acquired a greater appreciation for art that was radically different from the obvious paintings, such as The Mona Lisa and The Creation of Adam. Is there a life lesson to be learned of this experience? I would say so. I have started to look at new things not through the lenses of skepticism, but instead with an attitude of adventure and excitement. Life takes on a whole new flavor when you open you mind to the things around you.