Different cultures and subcultures have vastly varying and often contradicting ideas of what art is. Awards help us decide what we collectively think is good art, but it does not tell us what art is itself.
The Different Arts.
There are seven significant forms of art: Painting, Sculpture, architecture, Literature, Music, Film, and Theater. Except for the film, each has existed for thousands of years. AI art is A new category emerging with the rapid advancement of technology and artificial intelligence.
Discoveries of art in caves were the expression of its creator to let future generations know he was there and expressed his visual emotion regarding his environment.
What is the Definition of Art
Ambrose Bierce offered this entry about the meaning of art in his 1906 Devi’s Dictionary: “art: noun. This word has no definition.”
Oxford Definition: “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.” to summarize, art is a feeling we recall and express. (Feeling-Recalling-Expression.)
Leo Tolstay ‘s book in 1897 called ” What is art? He defines art as: “Art begins with the purpose of communicating to others a feeling they once experienced, calls it up again within themself and expresses it by certain external signs.”
Where Can We Find Art?
When we hear the word “art,” our minds jump to museums, Galleries, or framed paintings, but real art, using the definition above, can be graffiti, poster art, and comic books for anyone who wants to transfer an emotion creating that is received as intended has created art.
It’s also in more places than we might realize, like songs, movies, poems, theater, and even a quilt your grandmother made. All of that and more is art.
Is there one definition for art?
Is there one definition for art? I will say no; how do I define it? Well, that’s tough because Art is defined on a personal level.
Through the ages, art has evolved and continues to grow in several ways. It’s also been debated throughout history; no one agreed-upon definition exists. However, we can all agree that art is anything that stirs emotions. The emotional feelings depend entirely on your history, story, and everything that makes you who you are.
Who we are will affect our perception, and because of this, three different people can experience the same piece of art and have wildly different reactions to it; one person might think it’s the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen, the second person might hate it, and the third person might not feel much of anything at all, and none of them would be wrong. Everyone’s entitled to their preferences and feelings regarding art.
But some artworks are appreciated that are neither beautiful nor emotionally powerful. Like a Thomas Hirschhorn installation, I can find it thought-provoking but not beautiful. What sets art apart from other human creations is that it satisfies our senses. Like music is for our ears, paintings and sculptures are for our sight, and art is the application of human creative skill or imagination that makes the audience feel.
So if art is the purposeful expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, and it has to satisfy our senses and make us feel like relaying an intent, is advertisement art? Are athletes artists? Looking at the emotion the athlete creates for viewers, they use their creativity to express and relay a message; they make us feel through their crafts. So, I can say that athletes are artists.
Expanding on the same subject, I can refer to the art of fishing, jogging, or speaking… here, art refers to the craft, knowledge, skill, and experience of the individual working in that craft. Art in this context is used as a metaphor, or is it?
Art in itself is subjective because things cannot live in a vacuum. Bad art is art. My question is, if art is personal, are there evil arts? C.Y. Twombly’s art could be described as lousy art by some who see scribbles and scratches their head, thinking, “What am I missing?” others will see a reflection of their feelings.
How do we know if an Artwork is good?
JWG has 3 three questions when examining art: What is the goal, did they achieve it, and was it worth it? Furthermore, rather than rating it to everything that came before, those questions must examine art relative to itself. Jackson Pollock did not have the same skill as Rembrant’s work; does it matter? They’re created differently at different times in history. When asking the three questions, did they achieve their goal, and was it worth it?
Art a Billion Dollars Business
Another question is, why is some art worth millions? Is it because they are critically exceptional, and some of us do not get it? Let’s start by saying that the actual value of art is the material used to create it, plus the labor the creator has put into its achievement. Still, the current record price is approximately US$450.3 million (which includes commission), paid for Leonardo da Vinci‘s Salvator Mundi (c. 1500). The painting was sold in November 2017 through the auction house Christie’s in New York City. What do you think? Is this painting worth it?
The current record price is approximately US$450.3 million (which includes commission), paid for Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi (c. 1500). The painting was sold in November 2017 through the auction house Christie’s in New York City.
