Why Madonna's Art Isn't About Her Music

I've always understood "true" art to be something that evokes feelings from the viewer.

There are so many examples of this idea, like DaVinci's Mona Lisa, Monet's water lilies, Dali's melting clocks. But, to me, those are obvious choices because of their mass appeal. Things get interesting when the conversation turns to works like Jackson Pollock's splatter paintings or Barnett Newman's slashed paintings - now we're leaving the realm of art and delving into philosophy.

Are Pollock's or Newman's works actually art? Can "anyone" replicate their creations? I'd argue no. Modern art is surprisingly difficult to master, even when it looks like a child made it. But that's not really the point of their art. What's so remarkable about their work is the fact that it makes you feel something, whether it's wonder at Pollack's childlike mess or serenity at Newman's stark and simple canvasses, or even outrage that these two men call themselves artists in the first place.

I see Madonna falling into this same category. From the beginning, she built her career on being unpredictable. That's what her persona has always been about. We knew what we were signing on for when we made her a Lucky Star. She's gone through so many reinventions, I've lost count, but she has remained steadfast in one thing: her commitment to being provacative.

Like a true artist, she always makes you feel something.

When Madonna made her debut in 1981, the world had never seen anyone like her. She went on to achieve great things - I looked it up. She had 21 Top 10 hits in the United States and sold more than 70 million albums internationally. She was a big deal. But why was she a big deal? It's because she was more than a musician, more than a dancer. She was an entertainer. She made music, she influenced fashion, she showcased her body and spoke her mind. She was free and utterly, unapologetically, totally herself. And that was fascinating. But what about today?

When she started posting odd TikToks recently, I was immediately put off by how random they seemed. But when I looked a little deeper into what was I really reacting to, I found that it had less to do with Madonna's antics, which were in total alignment with who she has always been, and much more to do with the fact that she's 64 years old and seems like she's desperately seeking to hold onto her youth. In truth, it wasn't Madonna who had changed. It was her age — and society's expectations of her along with it.

It always sneaks up on me, the deeply embedded misogyny that I carry. I'm glad to say that I'm getting better at catching myself when I fall victim to it. Now I don't think of Madonna's bids for attention as the sad display of a has-been. They are part of who she has always been. She clearly loves the spotlight, and that aspect of her personality has never waivered because she is someone who is true to herself, regardless of her age. And that makes me feel something: admiration for her commitment to being herself and hope that women will follow her example and live their own authentic lives without hesitation, no matter how old they are.