The interaction of art and people is, for me, more interesting than the art in and of itself. Objects hanging on walls can be emotionally moving...as in this Greek carving of a "maenad," a graceful dancer in worship of Dionysus...god of wine and madness.
But it is the juxtaposition of the viewer with the object that is more dynamic, more lively to me. The manner in which the observer becomes observed...their reactions becoming part of the art itself.
Cameras, of course, have added to this interaction. Take a picture of a picture while someone is taking a picture of you taking the picture. So you can "own" the picture, the art, the artist? So you can show others that you have seen this particular masterwork, this particular scene?
So it all could become a bit confusing...if one thought about it enough. Luckily there is little danger in such thinking since the museums in New York are just flooded with people this time of year, putting a check on the checklist of "things to do"....at least during the day. .
But then there are refreshinly those folks who have had, well, enough. And whose posture is less than heroic or even interested. Waiting for a girlfriend who is still on the 4th floor, overlooking the atrium, taking photos of French impressionists.
So what is art but that which is in the eye of the beholder?
