Bird discussed the distinction between technical skill and content in work. Traditionally, academic art was based solely on the technical skill an artist had in producing realistic artwork. One of the main changes the Italian Renaissance made to the art world was to show content in their work. This involved the inclusion of big ideas, themes, messages, and narratives as an important part of making the artwork art.
Whether content is necessary for artwork to be art has been challenged and debated throughout history. Art that is void of content is now referred to as "Art for art's sake", "Aesthetic art", or "Wall art." While I can appreciate art that does not have a concept or content behind it, including content in my own work is extremely important to me. I have always said that the product that I produced will only be of importance if it was meaningful to me from the start. And I intentionally journal about my ideas to make sure that my conceptual idea or message is fully developed and apparent in my artwork. I would like to continue to do this to keep making a list of visual ways to represent my ideas. When I include content in my artwork it becomes personal so I am invested in it. This can also be a therapeutic process, which I believe helps artists use healthy coping mechanisms throughout their life. Having big ideas in a piece of art also allows for other viewers to make their own personal connections to this idea, and exhibits a universal human connection.
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