Reading Response to "The Whole Ball of Wax"

I agree with the initial statement made by Laura Hoptman and Peter Eleey that "art has the ability to change the world" (Saltz 1). The article gives examples of how art cannot physically change large scale problems like curing diseases or stopping global warming, but I believe art can strongly impact individual's lives. The article includes how "art is part of a universal force. It has no less purpose or meaning than science, religion, philosophy, politics, or any other discipline, and is as much a form of intelligence or knowing as a first kiss, a last goodbye, or an algebraic equation" (1). This statement stuck with me because oftentimes art is just looked at as an image, figure, or drawing. To me, art is much more than what is shown on the page or screen. I think that is also what Jerry Saltz was trying to get across by writing this article.
According to "The Whole Ball of Wax," Saltz uses ideas from a philosopher named Mary Midgley to help refute the ideas of theorists who "demonize and belittle art" (1). Oftentimes, it seems that some may see art as a simple form of pretty aesthetics for amusement alone. Art needs to be seen as more than just pretty. Many people "wrongly believe that art is about understanding, when, like almost everything else in the everyday world, art is about experience" (2). I believe that if someone looks at a piece of artwork, says that they understand it, but have not experienced what is being portrayed, or have not experienced art in various forms throughout their lives, they truly cannot fully appreciate the art.

Finally, I found this statement very intriguing, "When we look at art, we're not only looking at it; we're also looking into it and through it, into and through the paint, pigment, canvas, or whatever to something else" (2). This statement wraps up all of the points that Saltz was making throughout the article; that there is much more than what is on the canvas, screen, or picture. It is seeing into your head, the artists' head and into many others, as well as the experiences that are a part of the art. Critic Peter Schjeldahl says,"Art can be a vacation from the self" (2) and I strongly believe in this. When I'm drawing or painting I experience a different side of myself. One that forgets about all of the worries or stress going on around me. All I think about while making art is the art itself and the experiences that inspired me to create it. Overall, I enjoyed this article because it was very relatable and I agreed with many of the points that Jerry Saltz was trying to get across.