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What is art? I think that’s a very subjective question.
Britannica defines art as a visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination. And, yet, I’d also define music as an art — a sound experience rather than a visual experience.
But, usually, when we talk about something being “art,” it is because we are ascribing some certain level of quality or value to it. And when we complain that something is “not art,” it’s often not just because it is unskilled but because it, in some way, offends us or because we have the notion that a thing must be pleasing to look at is art.
Certainly, we agree that the Mona Lisa or the Sistine chapel ceiling can be called art. Is Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ art? Are your 5-year-old’s fridge drawings art? Are creatively-staged Lego people photos art? And are AI-generated images art?
By the strict definition, at least all of the first three examples are definitely art. The words, here, are skill OR imagination. And those are all produced through imagination. You don’t have to like it for it to be art.
And the last question? AI art? Well, they definitely fall into the last category. They are produced through imagination. But it’s an open question I have whether something that derives from art history — what’s draws from what’s already been created — can be called art. And yet, I think now, much non-AI art is inspired by what came before.
Anyway, on to a Wikipedia explanation instead of my subjective musings.
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It has been suggested that this article be merged with Visual arts. (Discuss) Proposed since October 2024. |
Art describes a diverse range of cultural activity centered around works utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, beauty, and/or technical proficiency.
There is no generally agreed definition of what constitutes art, and its interpretation has varied greatly throughout history and across cultures. In the Western tradition, the three classical branches of visual art are painting, sculpture, and architecture. Theatre, dance, and other performing arts, as well as literature, music, film and other media such as interactive media, are included in a broader definition of "the arts". Until the 17th century, art referred to any skill or mastery and was not differentiated from crafts or sciences. In modern usage after the 17th century, where aesthetic considerations are paramount, the fine arts are separated and distinguished from acquired skills in general, such as the decorative or applied arts.
The nature of art and related concepts, such as creativity and interpretation, are explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics. The resulting artworks are studied in the professional fields of art criticism and the history of art.
