Response #12.

In her blog, Skyla asked, "Do you think the body is a blank canvass for self-expression or should people respect their natural selves and leave expression to painting, writing, sculpting and other forms of creating tangible art objects?"

I wholeheartedly believe that the boy is a blank canvas used for self-expression. I'm sure I've made similar posts in the past (I've always been drawn to these questions, haha), but it's one of the stronger opinions of mine that I uphold. I've always been a supporter of tattoos and piercings - I only have one piercing and one tattoo thus far (however, hopefully that's soon to change), but I believe that the existence of tattoos and piercings in the United States is still a slightly taboo subject, as evident by the ban of visible tattoos and piercings in the workplace.

This is the way I think of it, though... what makes the human body different from other canvases or foundations of art? Painting has its upholstered canvas, writing has its paper, sculpting has its stone, photography has its film, etc. Why can't the human body itself be a foundation for a work of art, if it isn't considered a work of art already? I consider the body to already be a work of art, it's a miracle how the body works on its own with all of its intertwining of systems. But that's besides the point. As much as I love the natural form and things being naturally on its own, I do believe that our bodies were meant to be a canvas also, it's too amazing of an organ to not want to experiment with it. The way that our skin happens to stretch far more than our minds are able to comprehend, how even when hanging from two hooks inserted into the skin, our bodies manage to stretch and retain its equilibrium. Our bodies were meant to be played with, and we're all unique individuals, so why not alter ourselves as we wish?

My question is, "Do you believe in the phrase 'art for the sake of art' or does there always have to be a deeper meaning to a piece of artwork?"