What is Art?
There are a wide variety of ways art can be defined. Part of the beauty of art is it can’t always be defined. Art has a completely different meaning to everyone who tries to understand it. It has a vastness to it that cannot be put into one specific definition. A way people often try to get a grasp around how to specify the art is known as aesthetic. The level of beauty or appeal to the artwork contributes to the way the artwork is interpreted. Because there are so many ways to describe what art is, I have narrowed it down. Art is most commonly described as an expression of you thoughts, views, historical standpoints, and your own personal creations emphasizing individuality.
Art, in my opinion, has the main purpose of expressing yourself in a way you, and possibly others, see as beautiful. Whether it be an abstract painting, or a piece of poetry, if its use is to express one’s thoughts or feelings it is art. This idea of expression can come in many different forms, one key factor being whether it is aesthetic or not. Aesthetic is something that is considered pleasing or beautiful to the eye. Many people relate aesthetic to pieces of art and use that to define what art is. To me, art cannot be defined by something such as aesthetic. If art’s job is to express a feeling or thought, then beauty shouldn’t be an important factor. If the purpose of one’s art is to please others and possibly sell to others, than aesthetic becomes important. Another principal part of art is the question; do you have to like the artwork to appreciate it? That is not true at all to me. An artwork can be completely unappealing to a person, but that person can admire the work and endless effort put into it and has a deep respect for the artist. Even though that piece of art isn’t necessarily aesthetically pleasing to that one specific person, it can be respected.
Art is also an outlet for voicing an opinion or viewpoint on any certain subject. For example, photography used to spread the truths about a war. In the Vietnam War, photography was used to show the people who originally backed the war evidence of brutality and mistreatment. If one feels strongly about a controversial dispute and they want to share their thoughts with others, art is always an impactful way of sharing it. All examples I have given so far about art show that there is no specific way of defining art. Art’s meaning is whatever you want it to be and that is why it is beautiful. The component of art that is used to voice opinion goes to show that art can, but not necessarily should, have a purpose. If your inspiration for art has a specific purpose or goal, then that is what you make of it and that is great. Art, however, is expression therefore not making it necessary to have a purpose. If you are in the mood for creating a black line on a blank sheet of paper, and you are content and confident in calling it art because it is what you believe to be beautiful, then it is art.
There are a wide variety of ways art can be defined. Part of the beauty of art is it can’t always be defined. Art has a completely different meaning to everyone who tries to understand it. It has a vastness to it that cannot be put into one specific definition. A way people often try to get a grasp around how to specify the art is known as aesthetic. The level of beauty or appeal to the artwork contributes to the way the artwork is interpreted. Because there are so many ways to describe what art is, I have narrowed it down. Art is most commonly described as an expression of you thoughts, views, historical standpoints, and your own personal creations emphasizing individuality.
Art, in my opinion, has the main purpose of expressing yourself in a way you, and possibly others, see as beautiful. Whether it be an abstract painting, or a piece of poetry, if its use is to express one’s thoughts or feelings it is art. This idea of expression can come in many different forms, one key factor being whether it is aesthetic or not. Aesthetic is something that is considered pleasing or beautiful to the eye. Many people relate aesthetic to pieces of art and use that to define what art is. To me, art cannot be defined by something such as aesthetic. If art’s job is to express a feeling or thought, then beauty shouldn’t be an important factor. If the purpose of one’s art is to please others and possibly sell to others, than aesthetic becomes important. Another principal part of art is the question; do you have to like the artwork to appreciate it? That is not true at all to me. An artwork can be completely unappealing to a person, but that person can admire the work and endless effort put into it and has a deep respect for the artist. Even though that piece of art isn’t necessarily aesthetically pleasing to that one specific person, it can be respected.
Art is also an outlet for voicing an opinion or viewpoint on any certain subject. For example, photography used to spread the truths about a war. In the Vietnam War, photography was used to show the people who originally backed the war evidence of brutality and mistreatment. If one feels strongly about a controversial dispute and they want to share their thoughts with others, art is always an impactful way of sharing it. All examples I have given so far about art show that there is no specific way of defining art. Art’s meaning is whatever you want it to be and that is why it is beautiful. The component of art that is used to voice opinion goes to show that art can, but not necessarily should, have a purpose. If your inspiration for art has a specific purpose or goal, then that is what you make of it and that is great. Art, however, is expression therefore not making it necessary to have a purpose. If you are in the mood for creating a black line on a blank sheet of paper, and you are content and confident in calling it art because it is what you believe to be beautiful, then it is art.
