"The Whole Ball of Wax" by Jerry Saltz

Jerry Saltz's piece comments on and discusses how art is part of a holistic system rather than just another field of study. Being adaptable and subjective, art "sees things in clusters and constellations rather than rigid systems." The title of the article, "The Whole Ball of Wax", refers to the idea that art is part of the whole, but without it, the whole wouldn't exist, or at least not in its current state. Art isn't just one system, but instead it is an idea that is intimately interconnected within society. This is where Saltz got into the argument that academics "demonize" and don't respect is as something that is crucial and can be learned from. In the article, Saltz notes how myopic individuals regard it purely as amusement rather than a tool.

Unlike more rigid topics such as science and politics, art does not demand that it be categorized and defined by objective dualisms. Actually, it would be inappropriate to constrict art to such limitations. For instance, moral philosopher Mary Midgley describes this phenomena by claiming, "It's like saying that shape and size are competing opposites when they're complementary aspects of a larger whole." Midgley goes on tho further emphasize the power of art by saying, "Imaginative systems don't suddenly perish and they don't go away until the things they were invented to deal with have been resolved." She adds this idea in contrast to what most scientists and Cartesians feel about art. Which is that authors, paintings, history, and artwork that is not comprehended is dead. However, Oscar Wilde disagrees in that "the moment you think you understand a work of art it's dead for you."

Upon reading and understanding Saltz's argument, I agree with him to a much further extent than I thought I would prior to reading. Overall, I think be did an effective job at calling upon the common criticisms of art and refuting the misconceptions with examples and farsighted thoughts. For example, one quote of his that stood out to me is that, "art tells you things you don't know you need to know until you know them." In this respect, art allows for individualistic interpretation and understanding rather than concrete definitions and theories. Futher, Peter Schjeldahl's describes how art has transportive powers in that it can be "a vacation from the self" or "a journey to it." With the idea that art is a vacation and a journey, the same piece of art takes everyone to a different place. Art is also unlike science in that you don't have to understand the meaning in order to understand its purpose and effect. Gerber calls on this idea by referencing the Vietnam Memorial and how it "channels a nation's remorse" even though it is based on abstraction.