Jayna Horton: American Innovation of Art

What is art exactly? What can be categorized as art? I believe art is anything visual that expresses one's creativity, but art can also be categorized by the way that that image is displayed. In these terms, the U.S. was and is a pioneer in pushing the boundaries of traditional art. Americans instigated a huge street art movement that still continues on today. American companies have also created products that increase people's ability to create art and express themselves. Even though the concept of art is open to interpretation, the U.S. has still been able to pioneer new ideas of what art is, and how it can be displayed.

Before the 1960s, graffiti was not viewed as art, just random scribbles by obnoxious, young people destroying private and public property. However, after the graffiti boom in New York City, graffiti became more elaborate and evolved, instead of just spray painted words or designs. This shift, pioneered by Americans, lead to the change in perspective that graffiti, or street art, was indeed real art. Nowadays, street art and murals are everywhere, including Austin, London, Toronto, Sao Paulo, and many other places. In Austin, some murals are so iconic, when mentioned by name, everybody knows what, or where they are, like one would know of a famous painter or photographer. Art should be everywhere to inspire people and make them smile, and this is what street art does.


The American company GoPro, started by their CEO Nick Woodman, has developed a small, simple, camera that can take incredible photos and videos. The innovation and success of this portable camera demonstrates Americans' abilities to enhance art and make it simpler through technology. Woodman believes in storytelling, and telling these stories through photos and videos. This belief along with his desire for extreme photos without the professional help inspired him to create the GoPro. The transportability of the camera is one of its beauties, seeing that finding a way to capture an image is just as much an art as the art is itself. The success of the contemporary idea of a more mobile yet still great quality camera demonstrates Americans' modern thinking and their capacity to accomplish their visions.



A huge part of art is expression; one should be able to express oneself at any time, and this is what Americans did and continue to do. They express themselves publicly with murals, and the transportability of the GoPro allows art to be created almost anywhere, even underwater and in outer space. The U.S. continues to provide innovative advancements in art, even though the literal frontier movement has ended.