What Actually Is Art?

What does art truly entail?

The question of what art encompasses is a complex matter for many. This is partly because art has not always been the same and will always continue to change and push its boundaries.

Can we define art?

If a simple explanation is to be given, art is simply an expressive form of creativity that uniquely conveys our human emotions, thoughts, and experiences.

The term “art” derives from the Old English word “ært,” which in turn originates from the Old French word “art” and the Latin word “ars.”

But if we assume this, would any form of innovation and inspiration involving human creativity also be considered a form of art?

Art doesn’t require a single definition, as we often wish it did. This way, we could label it and confine it to a box. However, that would reduce art to a singular concept and prevent it from arising and evolving as it has for centuries.

Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to philosophize about its meaning and examine its recurring aspects.

The meaning of art is less about the work itself and more about the creator behind it.

Why this question can be difficult to answer

The reason is that art fundamentally changes every century and has a different story to tell. Let’s not forget that, alongside Western artistic history, the Asian and African art worlds hold immeasurable value.

Let’s begin with the earliest artistic works. Upon the discovery of paint and other tools, what was observed (nature, animals, and humans) was used as the primary inspiration for creating a artistic work.

Today, an exact representation of what we can perceive is often seen as outdated and sometimes even kitsch or camp. This is partly due to the zeitgeist emphasizing the underlying thought, which often holds more value than the artwork itself.

The 20th-century works of Mondrian and Picasso are in many ways far removed from what an artist like Michelangelo accomplished.

One could argue that the culture and significant questions of a particular time largely determine the artwork. However, this doesn’t necessarily give rise to styles that characterize entire movements, such as Impressionism and Cubism.

The everlasting emergence of styles

A style is essentially nothing more than a new path that is taken, diverging from what already exists. During such periods, this is often criticized, with the biggest question being,

“Doesn’t this fall outside the realm of art anymore?”

This occurred with almost all new movements that later became fundamental milestones in art.

For example, The composer Schönberg turned the entire classical music world upside down by using the 12-tone technique in his compositions. The rules previously used for writing music were overturned to explore new territories.

What this technique boils down to is that each tone has equal value, whereas there are only 7 tones in a normal scale. This encountered incredible resistance and criticism, as it sounded ‘false’ to many people’s ears.

These techniques have been widely used in film music and still leave their mark in contemporary music today.

Art is an illusion

Throughout the centuries, an image has emerged of what humans are capable of creating for beauty. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Van Gogh’s Starry Night provide a classical foundation for what art can be.

What is exhibited is art.

By this, it is meant that everything created to be considered art is, therefore, art.

How a urinal changed the future of art

In 1917, Marcel Duchamp decided to exhibit an inverted urinal in a museum.
His primary reason for doing this was to question what is aesthetic. Because does a piece of art have something to say if craftsmanship is not involved, yet it is exhibited?

Naturally, this idea caused a lot of controversy, leading to the removal of the urinal from the exhibition. People found it insulting and initially thought it was a joke.

Duchamp did something incredibly significant, which has completely changed our perception of what art is to this day.

He took an ordinary object from life and exhibited it, thereby removing its original purpose.

The fascinating aspect is that the aesthetic value of a work doesn’t solely determine the value of a piece of art.

We decide what art is

You could say that everything exhibited as ‘art’ is also an artwork. This is especially evident in contemporary modern art, where the simplistic nature annoys many but also stimulates thought. The craftsmanship and precision of the past are no longer as crucial as the artist’s underlying thoughts.

This doesn’t make it any less art, but rather highlights a matter of taste differences.

Delivering a personal story or message is the essence of what art is, in whatever form.

Because then it no longer matters if something is beautiful, ugly, too easy, or far-fetched. The artist wants to convey something that resonates with the emotions and thoughts of the viewer.

The main specification for art: Creativity

The primary requirement for something to be deemed ‘art’ is the creativity of the human being. It’s as simple as that.

But when is art considered good?

This, of course, relates to your own taste, but to a large extent, it also has to do with the originality of the work. All great artists, like Monet and Mondrian, developed an eccentric style of their own, recognizable from a great distance.

This originality, in fact, is what sets someone apart from the rest and thus represents ‘the new‘.

If there’s something that people are always searching for, it’s ‘something new‘.

This is also what makes originality, once it finds favor, labeled as brilliant or good. Sometimes even as genius.

The pursuit of this unique voice often happens naturally when an artist becomes completely absorbed in their work for an extended period of time. Established techniques or ways of thinking emerge that inspire the artist.

The eye of the beholder

Art gives us the opportunity to step into someone else’s shoes for a while. To see the world as they see it.

And by ‘they,’ the artists themselves are meant. Art is always, whether contemporary or classical, a physically manifested impression or thought of the creator.

This also highlights the essential difference between an invention and an innovation. While these indeed stem from someone’s creativity, they are more oriented toward practical use than influencing a self- or worldview.

What art is meant to do

In ancient times, artistic works were often used as decoration and enrichment of the imagination. Gods and nature were intertwined to depict what people believed but couldn’t see.

In the centuries that followed, these depictions were transformed into questions. On the one hand, the aesthetic style with which art was created was refined, and on the other hand, the motive of creative expression was examined.

Art is able to:

irritate
make you think again
offer a different perspective
evoke emotions
reflect
make you angry
provide new insights

This is just a selection of what art can do to you. It’s also not the intention that artistic work is solely meant to make you feel happy or inspired. Many artists are predominantly focused on asking questions or providing criticism through their work.

Not everything is (meant to be) art

As just mentioned, a specification for art is that an artist creates something with the intention of conveying a personal message or story. The purpose behind it is entirely up to the artist.

This boundary is thin

Because the motive of an artwork or person can completely change years or even decades later.

Essential differences: classical and contemporary

Contemporary art can also be seen as a game where the one who can create the most controversy gets the most attention. That’s evident with the legendary banana by Maurizio Cattelan, which became world news.

Can that ever be art? Perhaps the banana itself isn’t art, but the entire uproar around it is. It’s the same trick Duchamp pulled with his toilet bowl.

Classical art, created at least 100 years ago, is appreciated for entirely different characteristics. An underlying message that aimed to provoke controversy mattered less than the aesthetic value, where craftsmanship was more significant.

Especially paintings and sculptures from five centuries ago were primarily inspired literally by observable things, such as nature, people, and objects. The task was mainly to depict this as refined and detailed as possible.

After several centuries, this precision has had its time, and it’s a human trait to mock it. This led to the rise of expressionism and impressionism, where this precision faded into more suggestive elements.

Art takes risks

Just as Duchamp did with his urinal, taking risks is what shifts the boundaries of what art is.

Artworks may also be considered ugly or boring; that is often the artist’s intention, as seen in Dadaism and Anti-art. You can’t always put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and sometimes a piece of art might seem like trash to you, yet it can still make you think.

This is the risk of art—that unconventional things are presented, leading to significant criticism. Yet, the works that receive the most criticism are often the ones that bring about fundamental changes in the art world.

Influential people’s opinions about what art is:

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
– Edgar Degas

“Art should be a collaboration between the artist and the viewer.” – Marina Abramović

“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.” – George Bernard Shaw

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way.” – Georgia O’Keeffe

“The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” – Pablo Picasso