Art Definition

Art definition is a long ongoing debate about what constitutes “art” as well as what is “fine art”. Answering these questions requires a concise long study and deep research since art has been in existence for as long as mankind exists. The scope of this post, however, is to simply review some of the definitions of art and what famous and less famous people have thought and said about art. It is certainly not intended as a full scholarly study.

Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author’s imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power. In their most general form, these activities include the production of works of art, the criticism of art, the study of the history of art, and the aesthetic dissemination of art. For example, works of art made in oil are considered “art” or “fine art”. Art created on a computer can also be defined as art. This has been called Digital Art or Digital Painting. 

“Fine art” according to Wikiversity: “creative art, esp. visual art, whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content.” The term involves a variety of disciplines, including painting, drawing, sculpting, dance, theater, and printmaking, among others. The concept of fine art traditionally involves certain formal aspects that must be respected, but mostly it refers to a creation that expresses emotion and inspires beauty, appealing to the senses and enlightening the spirit.

It seems that many publications have tried to answer the question “What is art?”

Huffington Post, a well-known publication, offers an article delineating the 10 most powerful responses given by celebrities in the entertainment business such as Broadway Actors, Grammy Award winners, Hollywood Casting Directors and Producers Link

Mental Floss, a publication for curious people (also coined as the “encyclopedia of everything”) offers 27 responses to the question Link

Philosophy Now, (a magazine of ideas) links the word beauty to the question by phrasing it, “What is Art? and/or What is Beauty?”. The answers given here are by respondents who are not celebrities or working in the arts Link

The mere fact that so many have tried to answer the question and provided such a vast and diverse plethora of answers proves that the question can not be answered in a concise and precise manner.

Art definition – Dictionary

” 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 ” ” works produced by human creative skill and imagination ” ” creative activity resulting in the production of paintings, drawings, or sculpture ” ” the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance ” ” subjects of study primarily concerned with the processes and products of human creativity and social life, such as languages, literature, and history (as contrasted with scientific or technical subjects) ”

Definition by – Philosophy Now

“ Art is an expression of our thoughts, emotions, intuitions, and desires, but it is even more personal than that: it’s about sharing the way we experience the world…” – Wm. Joseph Nieters, Lake Ozark, Missouri
“ Art is a way of grasping the world. Not merely the physical world, which is what science attempts to do; but the whole world, and specifically, the human world, the world of society and spiritual experience “ – Alistair MacFarlane, Gwynedd
“ ‘Art’ is where we make meaning beyond language. Art consists in the making of meaning through intelligent agency, eliciting an aesthetic response. It’s a means of communication where language is not sufficient to explain or describe its content “ – Catherine Bosley, Monk Soham, Suffolk

Some famous artist quotes

“Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.” Salvador Dali
“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” Francis Bacon
“The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.” A. Giacometti
“A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.” Paul Cezanne
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” Aristotle
“Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.” Pablo Picasso
“A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.” Michelangelo
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas
“Art doesn’t have to be pretty. It has to be meaningful.” Duane Hanson

Conclusion

After plenty of research and personal experience as a professional architect and multidisciplinary artist, my conclusion is that art has no credible definition. Or perhaps for some, art has so many definitions that it ends up having none.

Suggested reading

“Art Of” – artgreeT Blog
“Art 101 definitions” – artgreeT Blog
“What is art?” – Philosophy Now
“99 Inspirational artist quotes” -Artpromotivate