Significance in the Eye of the Beholder

There’s a scene in the movie Anonymous (2011) where the “real” Shakespeare (supposedly the Earl of Oxford played by Rhys Ifans) says that all art is political. One of the themes of the movie is that the Shakespeare plays were written to influence Tudor society politically. An interesting premise and I agree that art can change society by changing our perceptions, but I don’t think there are political overtones in all art.

However, I do believe that good art (which everyone is going to define differently) ties somehow into universal emotions or truths and, therefore, has significance.

A painting that makes us revere nature, a book that makes us weep, and a movie that frightens us – they all appeal to our emotions. If art didn’t stir us somehow, we wouldn’t pay attention to it. We wouldn’t care. Art is cathartic, providing some sort of psychological relief. (Quick shout out to Corinne Loxton whose paintings inspire me)

For example, I consider It Happened One Night 1934 to be Art because it makes me laugh and then somewhere in the midst of the brilliant screwball comedy, I begin to care about the characters. Even though their situation is absurd and unrealistic, there are moments that ring true and I want the hero and heroine to get their happily ever after. I like seeing Clarke Gable as a tough reporter who is sometimes awkward, and Claudette Colbert is always a joy. Also interesting, some people think the carrot gnawing scene in It Happened One Night was a partial inspiration for Bugs Bunny.

So It Happened One Night is fun, but is it significant? To me, yes.

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