The Nature Of Art

• Michael Guirgies, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2019

All eyes focused on the artwork in silence; One eye stared back, blindly; from a number of different bodies: a dog’s, a cat’s, a chicken’s, a man’s, an apple’s. These multitudes of conjectures seem to create a paradox, but it may be due to the obscure design of the artwork.
Beginning the ceremony, one of the observers stood and described the image, sounding quick and rehearsed, as one coming from extensive experience. “There is a Labrador of a light shade of brown standing upon a grassy hill and peering towards the infinite stretch of the foamy ocean.”
The girl sat, and another stood, and recounted. “I see an enormous blue cat with white spots lying on the floor and staring up towards its tall, pointy, green-faced master.”
A third joined and piped: “Thousands of small chickens litter the blue floor while a giant ogre towers above them with a stony face.” He sat down in the silence.
It was almost comical to behold the grave expression behind each of their faces, as if they were justified by their own peculiar case. How can we determine then, what the artwork actually is, and why they all saw different things? Before we can begin, a fourth witness stands to make his claim.
“A man with a green hat is walking across a blue painted road that is stained with pigeon droppings.”
And another, even more strange and ridiculous than the last.
“Upon a stool, a green apple is laid, and on the floor a painted canvas of the ocean.”
Ha! Like a web of stories! Like we are placed in some unsolvable riddle, that which one could but speculate the answer. Only another tale can draw the connection between the ocean and a flock of chickens, a man with an apple, a Labrador with an ogre! How is it possible then to know the nature of the artwork, when it is described in so many ways?

The teacher ascended the threshold to the stage and clapped her hands as a celebratory gesture to the students. “Well done! Well done! You have created art!”