I realize that I have been somewhat quiet here of late.  My site is still in a transition phase from clay work to cut paper collage, and so it has been difficult for me to gather up much blogging inspiration.  However, I did see a tiny piece on The Today Show that kind of got me thinking about my definitions of art.  This spot featured a guy who, using an MRI scanner, had taken pictures of various objects.  According to the about section of his website, www.radiologyart.com,  “Artist and medical student Satre Stuelke founded the Radiology Art project to explore the hidden contents and structures of everyday things. Dedicated to the deeper visualization of various objects that hold unique cultural importance in contemporary society, this project intends to plant a seed of scientific creativity in the minds of all those inclined to participate.”His subject matter ranges from TV dinners to toasters to toys, and he invites anyone with access to an MRI scanner to submit their own images to the project.

I have always been kind of on the fence when it comes to calling work like this “art.”  I am whole-heartedly in favor of finding new ways to make art, exploring uncharted artistic territory, and just following one’s whims.  However, I have always questioned art of the type Mr. Stuelke is making as not exactly coming from the maker’s heart…I mean these are simple, everyday objects viewed in a different way.

TV Dinner

But as I thought more and more about this work, I began to realize that this is really what is at the core of all art…the ability to allow the viewer to see things in a new way.  For a clay artist it might be a certain glaze, or an exciting way of placing a handle, for a photographer it could be something as simple as an angle or point of view, or a painter could use the rich layers of pigment to let us see an everyday object in an entirely new light.  And so, I applaud Mr. Stuelke is his endeavors to show us how, if seen in an enlightening new way,  a TV dinner can be beautiful, and a toaster can enthrall us!

Toaster