Response to the first half of Maps To Anywhere

After reading the first half of Bernard Cooper's Maps To Anywhere, the piece that stuck out to me most was "How To Draw". For the most part, it stuck out because it gives an opinion on which kind of art is better and why; professional art and amateur art. Bernard Cooper feels that amateur art is superior to professional art because of the root of the motivation. With professional art, the artist is motivated my money, and fame. It is commissioned by someone and taken time with, with money in mind. He compares them to a dull fifth generation Xerox Amateur art is something done in the spur of the moment, hardly ever done by one that would proclaim themselves to be an artist. An example he gives is the Christmas gift given to neighbors by Mrs. Minn, "a little Santa, his head askew, made of Styrofoam balls and scraps of felt".

 In my opinion, both can be equally passionate, both can be equally "good". Though, I can see what he means by art being done in the spur of the moment being better. I don't necessarily think that a professional piece of art is not capable of being done in the spur of the moment. Not all professional art is done with money or fame in mind, especially considering the unstable, wavering definitions of "professional", "amateur" or even "art". Even what defines "good" is a debatable opinion. All in all, what makes art good is all in an individual's opinion.