What is Art?


Art is the product of human creativity.
Art is the creation of beautiful or significant things.
Art does not need to be innovative to be considered great.
Art is a superior skill that you can learn by study, practice and observation.
 

Contrasting Sounds - Wassily Kandinsky -

Any brief definition of art may oversimplify the matter. As Sir Roger Penrose once stated when asked to conclude a definition of the “The Emperor’s New Mind”:

“ I do not think that it is wise, at this stage of understanding, to attempt to propose a precise definition of consciousness, but we can rely, to good measure, on our subjective impressions and intuitive common sense as to what the term means.”

In its broadest meaning, art is the expression of creativity or imagination, or both.

Theories of what defines Art

Aestheticism: Is a late Victorian movement, the theory suggests that art exists for sake of beauty alone- “l’art pour l’art” meaning for arts sake alone. Art takes the best of reality and enhances it. However this theory can demean the artist and their art, as justification for their art, within this theory excludes all social or moral terms, grading all art on terms of pure beauty alone. With criticism of art being viewed entirely independently from the political or social realities that it was created in.

Expressive Theories: Shift the focus to the artist. The principle value becomes sincerity. Art viewed as a representation or manifestation of the inner state of the artist. For the expressive theory of art asks that one be true to ones self, as opposed to the outside world.

Formalist Theories: The art is viewed as a self-justifying entity; the art is representative of the artist.

Mimetic Theories: stress the idea representation, and thus focus on the universe outside the author; mimetic art is what we think of as conventional, representational art.


Organic Unity: this theory is first applied to literature and since poetry was constantly associated with painting, this structural principle, first discussed by Plato and later defined by Aristotle- The action of a narrative must be presented as “A complete whole, with its several incidents so closely connected that the withdrawal of any one of them will disjoin and dislocate the whole ” This theory assumes that art grows and seeks its own form, thus the artist should not interfere with its natural growth by adding any conventionally expected elements.

Pragmatism: Drives from the notion that art does serve a function and can be conceptualised in terms of its effects on its audience.

Pragmatic Theories: Defining art conceptualised in terms of its effects n its audience, to form such as- specific shared experiences.

-Producing a means if enhanced experience and thought
-Producing a means of escape, or consolation for, reality
-Perceiving a source of pleasure or delight
-Promoting/ acknowledging cultural and historical community
 or continuity
-As a means of communication
-Therapeutic/ healing to the observer
-Producing propagandistic instructive


Procedural Classes: classes involving formal criteria, such as

-Abstraction
-Expressionism
-Formalism
-Mimesis
-Minimalism
-Naturalism
-Romanticism
-Symbolism

Processional Theories: The creative process is inherently self-contained, self-justifying process.
So…what is Art?

Art is usually defined as a product produced in order to express feelings, to provide a reaction- good or bad. Art can be used as entertainment or as a way of beautifying your surroundings.

Art does not have to be made by one individual - many can contribute to a piece of art a skilled worker practicing a trade or handicraft, is an artist if he or she wishes to call themselves such.

And so a conclusion that art can be found everywhere is established, in fact so broad is the possible definition of “art” that some may say, that you can make an art out of living life itself. So the next time you glance at your untied shoelaces or your splattered spaghetti bolognas shirt, just remember that may be defined as “Art”, if it is defined as such by the artist.

There is functional art (objects you use) and art pour l’art (art for its own sake) there is “high” art and “low” art (whatever you wish those divisions to signify!), high street fashion and Haute Couture, “real” art and “kitsch”.

What is art? Art is a world of possibilities