Apart and Beyond
A Reflective Essay on ‘Art’ by Yasmin Reza
As per Henry Thoreau, “It is not what you look at that matters, It is what you see.” Art takes
many forms and concludes with millions of interpretative possibilities. The first part of ‘Art’ by Yasmin
Reza seemed exclusive on solely defining art, but it was more than that. It emphasized the power of art in
our lives and how it plays a role in defining a person; art reflects who we are. The courage to see art
differently is a way of accepting our individuality. It makes us exceptional, it equally distinguishes us
from everyone and clings us to the right people. However, some differences we deal with in life are
among our friends and family. Marc and Serge’s divergence in interpreting an artwork almost led to their
fallout. It went beyond accepting their individual opinions. At some point, the play took a turn from
describing art to dealing with arrogance and ego, which is personal. Marc found it difficult to accept how
Serge refused to be educated by his knowledge of art, and even more when Yvan joined the narrative. He
felt resentful that both his friends did not side with him. He felt left out and hurt because for him, his
opinion did not matter to them. However, one’s disapproval does not directly translate to indifference.
There are just situations where you have to stand your ground, not let other people’s opinions sway your
belief. Marc’s brisk disapproval of the painting without further effort to examine it similarize to
formalism. Wherein an individual refuses to think that art is about representation, that art should be
defined. He did not want to understand the art, so he was not able to see it the way others did. In the end,
Marc realizes his mistake of judging the work and his friends’ opinions too quickly. Once he accepted his
mistake, he opened his mind to understand the painting. For him, the work represents, “a man who moves
across a space and disappears.” He might have related to it, and maybe it was the reason why he
dismissed it in the first place. He was in denial of who he was so he hid it with anger. As individuals, it is
important to accept ourselves in order to appreciate life and art. Serge was strong enough to be apart and
firmly stand by what he translated the painting, even though he had no words to describe how it touched
him. It represents how we should not define art in a single narrative. Because to define is to limit, and art
is limitless. Trust yourself and how it makes you feel because just like art, we are boundless. We do not
need to conform to worldly standards in order for people to like us, the world should not define us. We
should live as who we are, as art; undefined and beyond.