The Complexity and Simplicity of Art

Is it true that wherever you are determines your frame of mind? I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now and instead of doing my piles of work I chose to stare at the wall. These walls are decorated with somewhat intimidating works of art might I add. To my right is drawing of a man looking to be in his mid 40's with black hair, brown eyes, a black bow tie, and a speckled top hat. His eyes seem to follow me wherever I shift my body. He seems sad, almost as if he does not know where he is headed. Same with the man in the picture to his left. They are both staring into infinite distance because they are trapped in this glass frame and forced to watch the frequent coffee addicts of Iowa City waste time doing everything but what needs to be done. The man on the left has a very feminine bow tie and longer hair (no top hat) compared to the man on the right. I can't quite figure out what the artist was thinking when he painted these two pieces. They are obviously two very different people, but they share the same stare. It is definitely creeping me out a little bit. Why am I even noticing this? I should be doing my work, but no, these works of art keep staring at me and I can't get myself to write what I should be writing. Instead I am staring back at them and writing about these two men confined on drawing paper with personalities penciled in blank space. There is a sign between the two frames which reads "ONE HOUR COURTESY LIMIT ON ALL TABLES." Maybe Java House wants these men to eventually intimidate coffee drinkers such as myself so I'll leave this table after an hour. How rude. I don't need two pictures to remind me that I shouldn't sit in the same place wasting time for more than an hour. I have my own head to remind me of that. I am totally wasting time. Why? I don't want to end up in a picture frame with a sad face staring at people walking past me. I wonder what the man on the left is thinking. He looks more concerned about my laziness than the man on the right. The man on the right almost looks like he expects me to grab my coffee and sit down and do nothing. The man on the left wants me to do something with my time. There are plenty of other people sitting around me, all of which are on facebook as well, so why aren't these men in the pictures focusing on them? I have enough people on my back trying to push me to be successful. So here I am, about fifteen minutes over my one hour table limit. All because of two drawings in a frame, planted on the slick, painted grey walls of Java House. I have spent over an hour staring back at these men trying to figure out what they are thinking.

Waste of even more time? I think not. Is this not the purpose of art? To make us think about things we would not otherwise notice or think about? Though none of my "work" has been done, I'd call this a pretty successful hour and fifteen minutes of this beautiful day. I'm going to go look for something new to make me think now. And to the two speechless men trapped in the frames next to me: I will see you tomorrow, hazelnut iced latte in hand.