Editorial

By Gena Tuffery, March 11, 2008 @ 12:33 pm

Academics, philosophers, grandmas and drunks have all asked the question at some point: what is art?

Maybe our cover artist, Sofia Minson, has wondered herself. What is certain is she wouldn’t have answered the question, because to define art you have to know its history—and Minson doesn’t. “Who’s Michael Smithers?” was the response she gave to the hapless chap who suggested her rolling rocks are reminiscent of the veteran New Zealand artist’s.

Minson is evidence that a ‘who’ has been added to art’s ‘what’. Who is an artist? Is it the person who spends four years at art school, then does a Trade Me Property search for ‘garret’? Maybe. But is it also the self-trained painter making a very nice living selling her work out of a very nice house, using only her mind as a reference point? Oh yes.

And she’s not alone. A New Zealand-based, world-serving website called Ponoko.com has opened a can of paint in the great ‘let’s define art’ debate. The site allows anyone to design an object and add it for sale—and anyone else to customise that object before they add it to their virtual shopping trolley. Suddenly it seems ‘academic’, ‘philosopher’, ‘grandma’ and ‘drunk’ are all viable answers to the ‘who is an artist?’ question.

But what of the ‘what?’ Does trash make the cut? When it’s rescued, cleaned and fashioned into fashion—including ex-kimono-covered bags, books and pillows—we say: sure.

We doubt any of the inventive types featured in this issue would register with New Zealand’s art establishment. But if we were to dare answer the great ‘what is art?’ question ourselves, we’d say it is an expression of creativity. And what greater creativity agitator is there than original thought? Just adding another question to the mix. 

Gena Tuffery
Senior Writer