Since the 1900s, the term “abstract art” describes art using different shapes and colors to express a deeper meaning rather than depicting literal people or objects. These deeper meanings vary from short stories to artists leaving the story up to the viewer’s thoughts. They choose to let the viewer create their own story and deeper meaning. In the artist’s minds, this brings a person in and leaves them staring, finding a way to relate to the art. However, abstract art lacks creativity, to say the least; almost in a way that shows that anyone can create it.

Putting a story into an objectively ugly or boring piece does not change it into art. It remains the ugly and boring piece it originally existed as. Art means to entice people with its beauty. Random shapes and colors do not equal beauty. Yet, this form of art earns massive amounts of money. This truly shows the lack of beauty we see—we appreciate the ugly but disregard true beauty.

“I genuinely believe that people have derived a sense of aesthetic pleasure from some of their creations. But they are not in fact works of art. The most beautiful of their color fields cannot compare to a field of primroses. They are not works of art, no matter how beautiful because there are no real abstractions in them, there are no meaningful selections from nature and no great activity of the mind. They may mix colors prettily as they please but without selection based on knowledge of the forms of the real world they do not make works of art and they are not artists,” writer Fred Ross said.

The problem stems from a lack of appreciation. An opposing argument would claim that just because the piece looks like anything, that does not mean it means anything. Only close-minded people see abstract art this way. The only part that stands out about these paintings consists of their ability to draw a person in. A splash of color does draw a person’s attention, but it does not bring in a deeper meaning. Seeing a rainbow with multiple black lines interests people to a point, but it invokes a sense of boredom after several seconds.

“Abstract art is ridiculous, to say the least. There is nothing unique or special about it, nothing about it grabs my attention. The only thing about it that grabs my attention is the insanely high pricing,” sophomore Zaria Green said.

Scribbling on a canvas and writing a minor paragraph of a random caption does not turn it into art. In a way, abstract art grants untalented artists a chance to claim fame. But these artists do not deserve fame or money. They profit off of a made-up example of abstract work.