A few weeks ago, I came across a brief article (https://www.audubon.org/news/did-crows-actually-make-these-gifts-human-who-feeds-them) that really got me thinking deeply. This tweet pretty much sums it up:
As the article notes, Stuart had been feeding the crows for four years. Then, he found "a short pine sprig with a soda tab threaded through the end. It was positioned right by his backdoor, exactly where he leaves an offering of dried cat food each day. The next day, he found a second sprig identical to the first in the same spot."
For me, this pine sprig + soda tab raises some pretty fascinating questions:
Part A. Assess Stuart's claim.
Stuart says, in his tweet, the pine spring / soda tab is generous, creative, and art.
To what extent do you agree? And what reasoning or evidence informs your opinion?
How do the details of this scenario (for example - feeding for several years; left two days in a row; left where he leaves the cat food, etc.).
Discuss/debate with family members, friends - as dialogue or in writing!
Part B. Propose an artifact for artistic debate!
While I found this story itself to be interesting and provocative, it reminded me of a broader question that often turns in my head: what are the boundaries of "art"? How do we know when something is art and when it's just...a thing?
For Part B, find an artifact that you think flirts with the boundaries of art - an item that you believe will challenge others to think deeply about what art is, and what art is not. Share an image of the artifact with family, friends, or classmates, and ask: Do you believe this to be art? Why or why not?
Here's one I can offer - I remember coming across this painting as a teenager on a field trip, and getting VERY fussy because, well, I couldn't understand why it was art! What do you think?
This is Yves Klein, "IKB 79" (1959), currently at the Tate Modern in London. IKB stands for International Klein Blue.
Here's what the Tate's display caption has to say: "In 1947, Klein began making monochrome paintings, which he associated with freedom from ideas of representation or personal expression. A decade later, he developed his trademark, patented colour, International Klein Blue (IKB). This colour, he believed, had a quality close to pure space, and he associated it with immaterial values beyond what can be seen or touched. He described it as ‘a Blue in itself, disengaged from all functional justification’. Klein made around 200 monochrome paintings using IKB. He did not give titles to these works but, after his death, his widow assigned a number to each one."
And, to add further curiosity to the debate: In 2013, the following painting by Barnett Newman sold for $43.8 million at auction...
When it comes to art... think deeply, share broadly!