In one of my art courses from college, my professor told the class, “ You should not like this artist’s work at all. His paintings are horrible. He only produces ‘bad art’”. I just cringe every time I think of this. What gives anyone the authority to label art as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and especially tell others what they should or shouldn’t like?

Every person has his or her own opinion and likes of art. While some may like one drawing, another may not. Just because that person has the opinion that that drawing has to be the worst drawing on earth, does that give them the right to define it as ‘bad art’?

What makes art successful varies tremendously between everyone. Each look to seek out something different from the art. Some seek for stories, messages, and meanings from artwork. Others look to find something that they believe is just ‘nice’ that they can add to their houses for others to view. Young children’s scribbles may not look like much to some people but to the receiving mother, those series of lines mean the world and deserves the position on the refrigerator door. They may not be the next famous drawing but they mean something to the proud parent.

My professor and I had two different views on that particular artist’s work. While all she could see was the ‘cliché’ of landscapes and buildings, I saw memories. I feel that his work is successful because it moved me. He was able to capture my attention from this busy life that we live in.

Art speaks to every individual differently, so in fact each works of art holds something special to someone. Just because something isn’t special to you does not mean that it isn’t special for someone else. When you really think about it, can you really have ‘good’ or ‘bad’ art?