how arty does art have to be?

I was just realizing I'm confused about art now.  Last week I finished watching the first season of Work of Art and was really connecting with the idea that art must mean something; must make a statement.   Yeah, on Work of Art the artists are given challenges based on themes and materials so there's more of a context in which to make a statement.  But I felt myself pulling away from art that was just pretty.  I still liked it, but I was aware of it having less purpose, and that I was missing something by not seeking out more meaningful art.  I was loosing recognizing art for art's sake. 

And I'm just finishing up Get Your Paint On, an online painting class with Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough, where I've been working on a painting of a necktie.  I had conceded that I wasn't making a statement and acknowledged I was *just* working on technique; how I push paint around on a canvas so that my strokes could be intentional when I was really working on something to say.

There's someone at work I plan on asking.  I'll post the quandry on the private online art class forum.  But for now I did a search for "art" at the TEDTalks on Hulu.

Here's what I came up with.  Nothing that solves my riddle above.  But something that makes the study more accessible.  And showcases how coding can move people across continents.

I can't wait to curate my own Artwork Collection.