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This seems to be a rather common attitude not just about "Dots," but about art in general. I am no artist -- the culmination of my artistic talent was "Stick Figure Self Potrait" in fifth grade -- and I may not be qualified to critique or explain Kusama's work, but this attitude towards art still disturbs me.

I have no problem with the fact that the two men I heard talking did not like the exhibit. "Dots," or any other work for that matter, does not speak to everyone. In fact, it is probably not supposed to. I cannot claim to understand or even fully appreciate "Dots," but that does not mean it has no merit. To say that a work of art "isn't anything" is to say that it has no meaning or power, not just for the person making the statement, but for anybody else.

The obvious problem with this is that art is a very subjective thing. Where one person may see only colors, another person might find a moving statement about life or love or whatever. This is not to say that the second person has come up with the "right" interpretation, and the other person is simply too dim to grasp the true meaning. People react to art in different ways, and both of these people have completely valid interpretations.

The only "wrong" opinion is one that degrades the artwork itself. Not appreciating or liking a work is valid. Saying that nobody should or could like it is not. It is easy to say that there is nothing behind a work of art after simply taking a quick look. But this cheats the art, the artist and the viewer. Finding the meaning in a work of art can be difficult, especially to people like me with little artistic knowledge to draw from, but the viewer still has the responsibility to find out more before passing judgment. I doubt that many people who attended Sunday's lecture on "Dots" still say that the work is meaningless.

As for the idea that "anybody could do that," it is obvious to anyone who has ever tried to create a work of art, visual or otherwise, that creating art is no simple task. The idea sounds easy -- just dots in a yellow room, right? -- but the ability to actually use something so simple to create an effect that striking is what differentiates artists from everybody else.

So if you happen to be in Sewall Hall in the next few weeks, stop for a minute at that funny-looking yellow room. Read the poster on the wall that explains a little bit about it. If afterward you shrug your shoulders and say, "I don't like it," that's fine. At least you took the time to think.

This item appeared in the Opinion section of the October 10, 1997 issue.