What is Art?
You can say that art is an expression, or you can say that art is a way to communicate in a way that relates to politics, culture, imagination, or hidden truths. Art is all of these things and so much more. Art can be defined by the intention of the artist, but can also be interpreted by the eyes of the viewer. Art can have no designated reason, or art can having meaning beyond the images that meet the eye. Anybody can create art and likewise anything can be considered art. However what is specifically classified as art is very subjective to the individual. What one person may perceive as a work of art could be classified differently by somebody else. There are so many various ways to define the question “What is art?” however there is no right or wrong answer and nothing is set in stone, art can be anything you want it to be.
Art is a culture. Culture is defined as “the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.” (Dictionary.com). Every culture has the capability to view the same artwork in a thousand different ways. But it is the people within a culture that express themselves through art. In other words, art does not merely reflect culture, it creates culture. Art is a form of bringing people together, which in turn could in fact create an entire culture revolving around the art which defines them. Art can reflect on the traditions of culture along with religion and politics that are the main representations of what makes up that specific culture. All aspects of a culture have a function in society and can be communicated and depicted by different art forms. In some cases, the art which defines a culture can only be truly understood by those apart of said culture, making it near impossible for outsiders to begin to understand their history.
Art is so many things, and there are very few things that art is not. There is no right or wrong answer to the way in which art is defined. Art does not need to be a physical thing or something that the eye can see. For as long as humanity has existed, art has been present in our world. And although there may be no one alive to tell us the meaning of these artworks from the past, all we have is our imagination shaping the way that we perceive art. Society will never have a perfect definition to the question “What is art?” because it varies from person to person. Art will always be subjective to the individual, and art will never produce fact or truth, however will make you realize these things for yourself.
Throughout this year while taking the AP Art History course, the meaning of art has not changed substantially to me, however what has changed is the way that I look at it. Art is essentially whatever you want. However the body is certainly the most beautiful form of art, but sushi is an art in itself as well. Sushi chefs are like artists so me, because their work is aesthetically pleasing and it is an aspect of Japanese culture that goes back hundreds of years. Art deserves the utmost respect, as it has been created by the vision of someone with talent and creativity that the vast majority of people will never possess. There is no clear definition to art, seeing as it is always subjective to change. As I have previously stated, there is no right or wrong when it comes to art, and that is because art is limitless. I firmly stand with the claim that art is expression, and expression is power, and power has influence. Taking AP Art History this year has had a huge impact on the way that I look at different art forms and it has also made me much more appreciative of art itself. Throughout the year, I have learned about how to really look at an artwork, like actually really really look at it. I have learned how to interpret art and look at how their meanings are influenced by the time period that they were created in while also being able to realize the message that the artist is trying to send to the public. Unlike a lot of other classes I have taken this year, Art History has provided me will skills that help me appreciate history and the world around me and I could not be happier with my decision to take this class this year, it was undoubtedly my favorite class I have taken at Costa. :)
Works Cited
"Antoine Wiertz: Belgian Romantic." Antoine Wiertz: Belgian Romantic. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2015. <http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/art/wiertz.html>.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2015. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/artist?s=t>.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2015. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture?s=t>.
Herman, Judith B. "27 Responses to the Question." Mental Floss. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2015. <http://mentalfloss.com/article/57501/27-responses-question-what-art>.
You can say that art is an expression, or you can say that art is a way to communicate in a way that relates to politics, culture, imagination, or hidden truths. Art is all of these things and so much more. Art can be defined by the intention of the artist, but can also be interpreted by the eyes of the viewer. Art can have no designated reason, or art can having meaning beyond the images that meet the eye. Anybody can create art and likewise anything can be considered art. However what is specifically classified as art is very subjective to the individual. What one person may perceive as a work of art could be classified differently by somebody else. There are so many various ways to define the question “What is art?” however there is no right or wrong answer and nothing is set in stone, art can be anything you want it to be.
Art is a culture. Culture is defined as “the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.” (Dictionary.com). Every culture has the capability to view the same artwork in a thousand different ways. But it is the people within a culture that express themselves through art. In other words, art does not merely reflect culture, it creates culture. Art is a form of bringing people together, which in turn could in fact create an entire culture revolving around the art which defines them. Art can reflect on the traditions of culture along with religion and politics that are the main representations of what makes up that specific culture. All aspects of a culture have a function in society and can be communicated and depicted by different art forms. In some cases, the art which defines a culture can only be truly understood by those apart of said culture, making it near impossible for outsiders to begin to understand their history.
Art is so many things, and there are very few things that art is not. There is no right or wrong answer to the way in which art is defined. Art does not need to be a physical thing or something that the eye can see. For as long as humanity has existed, art has been present in our world. And although there may be no one alive to tell us the meaning of these artworks from the past, all we have is our imagination shaping the way that we perceive art. Society will never have a perfect definition to the question “What is art?” because it varies from person to person. Art will always be subjective to the individual, and art will never produce fact or truth, however will make you realize these things for yourself.
Throughout this year while taking the AP Art History course, the meaning of art has not changed substantially to me, however what has changed is the way that I look at it. Art is essentially whatever you want. However the body is certainly the most beautiful form of art, but sushi is an art in itself as well. Sushi chefs are like artists so me, because their work is aesthetically pleasing and it is an aspect of Japanese culture that goes back hundreds of years. Art deserves the utmost respect, as it has been created by the vision of someone with talent and creativity that the vast majority of people will never possess. There is no clear definition to art, seeing as it is always subjective to change. As I have previously stated, there is no right or wrong when it comes to art, and that is because art is limitless. I firmly stand with the claim that art is expression, and expression is power, and power has influence. Taking AP Art History this year has had a huge impact on the way that I look at different art forms and it has also made me much more appreciative of art itself. Throughout the year, I have learned about how to really look at an artwork, like actually really really look at it. I have learned how to interpret art and look at how their meanings are influenced by the time period that they were created in while also being able to realize the message that the artist is trying to send to the public. Unlike a lot of other classes I have taken this year, Art History has provided me will skills that help me appreciate history and the world around me and I could not be happier with my decision to take this class this year, it was undoubtedly my favorite class I have taken at Costa. :)
Works Cited
"Antoine Wiertz: Belgian Romantic." Antoine Wiertz: Belgian Romantic. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2015. <http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/art/wiertz.html>.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2015. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/artist?s=t>.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2015. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture?s=t>.
Herman, Judith B. "27 Responses to the Question." Mental Floss. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2015. <http://mentalfloss.com/article/57501/27-responses-question-what-art>.