What is art?

 

Before we acknowledge the definition of "art" I think we should clarify something else. 

Helen Frankenthaler (1928 - 2011)

Mountains and Sea, 1952

Oil and charcoal on canvas, 219.4 cm × 297.8 cm

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)

The Last Supper, 1495 - 1498

Tempera on gesso, pitch, and mastic, 460 cm x 880cm

    Which of these paintings more exemplifies art? I'm not asking which one is more artistic or which has more value (monetary or emotional), I'm asking which of these is "more art" than the other. Both are equal. I do find one to be more artistic than the other, and each holds different values in the market and emotionally, yet both of these are equally art. This shows us that the artistic quality and value of a work and its status as art are independent. Now that we've established this, let's explore the definition of art. 

    Since art isn't defined by its value or artistically, we have to ask what it is defined by. Looking back at the Oxford Dictionary Definition, we notice a key part of the definition, "human." As art is not defined by the value gained from viewing it, it must be defined by its creation. When an artist sits down to create their work, they embed meaning and value into it. It becomes art merely through its creation by a human. Art is not defined by the viewer but instead by the creator, a creator with unique experiences and motivations. A human, whether intentionally or not, embeds meaning into their work. Even if the meaning is that there is no meaning (look at you, Waiting for Godot) there is still an aspect of humanity in the work. Art is dictated not by the meaning received from a work, but instead by the meaning (or lack thereof) innate to its creation. 

In the end, the definition of art doesn’t change the personal impact it can have on us all. Art really is what you make of it, and it would do us all well to appreciate it more. Making the conscious choice to look around and find artistic value in the small things really makes my life all the more fulfilling.