An acquaintance long ago told me that an artist is obligated to make his art public--not an altogether original comment, but one I often recall. I would never think to “make public” the self-portrait I painted of myself in high school, yet it hangs in our garage, and those who pass through see it—and sometimes comment on it. Definition 1C of “public” in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is “perceptible.” Definition 9 from the online World English Dictionary states, “a part or section of the community grouped because of a common interest, activity, etc: the racing public.” The Oxford Online Dictionary of British and World English, under Noun 1, reads, “(one's public) informal: the people who watch or are interested in an artist, writer, or performer,” and under the phrase “go public” states “in public, in view of other people.” The Oxford Dictionary of U.S. English, definition 2, reads “done, perceived, or existing in open view.” My painting, rather unbeknownst to me, is public.
