1 - Charlie Fischl: What is Art?

Art first  and foremost is a means of expression. This broad definition is in many ways liberating, as it allows art to take on an incalculable number of forms. Since the variety of things that can qualify as art is overwhelming,  I will focus on just one here.

Forever

This sculpture, in my opinion, is an excellent piece of art. The work is called Forever, and was created by the Contemporary chinese artist Ai Weiwei (commonly referred to as the Andy Warhol of China). Ai Weiwei is known as a political rebel, and frequently gets himself in trouble with the Chinese government for both the content of his art and the statements he makes. This relatively innocuous piece (considering that it is by Ai Weiwei) is intriguing as it shows us something so familiar (even more familiar if your a urban dwelling Chinese, where bicycle is still a primary mode of transportation) and presents it an a manner that is entirely foreign. It causes you to step back and re-evaluate the familiar. One might even perceive that Ai Weiwei is attempting to make a statement about the mindset of the Chinese people on a whole. But that, of course, is entirely up to personal interpretation. Either way it makes people think---and that is what makes a piece of art great.