What is Art?

This topic is easily one of the most often repeated deceptively simple questions asked of artists, art students, and so-claimed art experts. Each one, of course, will give a widely different answer depending upon their background and experiences. This is because art, like so many things based in opinion, is so very subjective.

As for me personally, I suppose I generally consider anything that requires some creativity to produce to be “art”. There is the obvious: visual, writing, and performing/musical arts, but also, I see a form of art in math and science and many other places that may not look, at first glance, to be art. As with many definitions, particularly on subjective topics, I prefer to be very broad in my definition of art because of the imprecise nature of such subjective topics. A broad definition will not only cover more ground in terms of what is in general considered to be art, but also plays towards my own general policy of tolerance, in this case for variety in art.

At the same time though, I think I am often looking at the design of something as art or art in design rather than specific media or practices as being art. While not exactly the same things, I am inclined to say that both art and design are, at the least, very interrelated. Add to this like of many kinds of design, the very practical portion of my personality, and you get the main reasoning behind why I am doubling as a Graphic Design major. I like fine art just as much of course, but simply prefer (most of the time) doing art for things that can be used or have a purpose other than as exhibits.

The art I prefer to view, listen to, and/or otherwise enjoy, happens to be largely varied, but with an often present theme of contrast. Not necessarily contrast in colors or values exactly, but I find I really love to see the dichotomy and interplay between things on very opposite ends of a spectrum. Like seeing a very old tree placed in the same work as a very young animal, such things simply fascinate me; seeing they can not only exist at opposite extremes at the same time, but in the same scene is an intriguing conundrum. That, and I very often like to see or feel some sort of story in a piece, at least in part because I simply love stories of all kinds and the possibilities they offer. It’s also fun for me to make up stories to go with works, adding to the value of the art for myself.

Overall though, I maintain that due to its very subjective nature, “art” has quite a broad definition.

- Art is a way of expressing meaning, an excess of beauty and design in form and function, effort put into an otherwise ordinary task to make it somehow greater. -