Summary: What is Art?

This blog would be worthless without the thoughtful and insightful comments of its readers. Thank you for spending time considering the question “What is Art?” Egmont likened this attempt to opening up Pandora’s box because we are not going to settle much. That, in itself is a lesson that I’ll examine at the end of this post. Today, I’ll attempt to offer a synopsis of your viewpoints and apologize in advance for any errors, which I hope you’ll correct. I’ll also add my own comments which I’ve kept in reserve during your conversation.

Many of you addressed the importance of the state of mind of the artist and viewer when determining if something is art. Don wrote that art is all about intent, context, and reaction. Therefore, he finds these to be necessary criteria for making a determination. Celeste added: Have to agree with Don – it is all art as long as the viewer thinks so. This places the power to define “what is art” solely in the hands of the viewers and their subjective opinions. Hallie expanded that thought: perhaps it takes two to make art; first, the artist; second, someone to value it. Shawna asks: Is it art if you put it in the closet and no one sees it? I agree that the artist is powerless to assign value to her/his art. Value is determined by society, its “expert opinions,” and in its marketplace. Art has emotional, intellectual, and monetary value.

Casey wrote: I want to disabuse myself of considering whether the maker of an object is known. Can I have my own mind about it? That is, are our opinions influenced or controlled by established “authoritative” opinions? Myrna wrote: My prejudices are screaming right now. Egmont offered that education and exposure to a variety of art has changed his opinion about what is art over time. Don added: for me the question is “is it art to Don?” This makes it a very subjective choice and my biases will rise to the surface. I doubt that any of us is capable of unbiased judgment. For example, if you didn’t know that image #1 is institutionally recognized “art” hanging in a museum would you have labeled it “art?” What if it wasn’t a Rothko painting, but merely a panel painted black for some utilitarian purpose? Or, what about the elephant painting? There was no creative intent by the elephant; it just wanted to obey its handlers and get a few peanuts. If I hadn’t known that painting was by an elephant I, like Mary, would have called it art. So, knowing something about the intent and context, as Don pointed out, seems important.

And then, there’s the problem of finding the dividing line between art and craft, as Pam and Egmont point out. Or, the notion of a hierarchical approach to defining art as Margaret states it, and Mary and Sandy imply. Or, the debate about whether or not art can be only an artist’s conceived idea without the applied skill of the artist’s hand, as pondered by Egmont.

Coming full-circle, I’d like to return to Egmont’s comment that likened this discussion to opening up Pandora’s box because we are not going to settle much. I was pretty certain when I created this series of posts that we would not reach a conclusion, and I thought it would be instructive because of that reason. If we artist practitioners can’t set firm criteria to define “what is art” no one can. The boundaries are too transparent and as numerous as the ideas in our collective brains. Perhaps that’s a definition in itself.

Finally, I agree with Pam, who wrote: a large part of viewing art is the ability to keep an open mind – easier said than done. And, perhaps Casey is correct when he writes: your (and also my) opinion are irrelevant as to what is art. And, maybe Sandy is on the right track by stating: Seems the trick is to develop long lasting, meaningful, well executed and creative art that speaks to the heart. As Peggy wrote: art is far more complex than the simple question "is it art" might suggest.

Or, maybe the answer is “42.”

Whew! I hope I correctly represented your viewpoints. If not, please accept my apologies and make corrections in your comments.
I’ll probably wait a few days to write another post since I’m working on a painting that’s on a deadline. I’ll share it with you later and then return to Dutton’s book.

Thanks everyone!