Definitions of Art

[CreamyLady]

A friend and I were discussing art last night, and got into a kind of wrangle about what it is, actually.

Corita Kent once commented that, "There is no art; we do the best we can."

My own definition is that art (painting, music, writing)captures a truth at the time of its telling; truth being different from fact.

My friend is inclined to go with Ms. Kent's definition, thinking that perhaps there is no way to be more specific.

Does anyone have any other ideas about it? I think Debra and I are going to be wrangling about this for some time to come.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Art is the soul's mirror.

 

[Siren]

OMG DCL....that was so profound

 

[CreamyLady]

I, too, like that one, DCL. Though, after going through some galleries last weekend, I wonder about the state of some of the souls . . .

 

[Gaucho]

A very loose definition is that art is anything that giveth more than it receiveth. Or, put another way, anything that returns more than it requires of the viewer/reader, etc.

By that definition, many of the threads on this board would qualify as art.

Another, more formal definition, is that art is anything that makes you pause and ponder it, in an aesthetic sense. I believe James Joyce was the originator of this theory. His idea was that any work that moved you to feelings of desire or fear was either pornographic or didactic in nature and, consequently, failed to qualify as art.

By that definition, very little of what is generally thought of as art would qualify.

I guess, because I can't think of anything better, I'll have to fall back on the words of George Bernard Shaw, who was smart enough to refrain from offering a definition but rather said the following:

"Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable."

 

[Never]

I stole this definition of art from Scott McCloud but I think it is the correct one.
Art is any activity that does not grow from our two, basic, instincts: Reproduction or Survival.
Since we can't spend all of our time eating and having sex we fill in the gap with Art.
There are three types of Art, all of which have their uses but none of which grow out of the need to Reproduce or Survive.
One: The Art of self-stimulus, either mental or physical. This type of art has evolved into sports and games.
Two: Art that provides emotional outlet, self-expression, dancing, acting, painting, poetry, and music. These are the 'traditional' arts.
Three: The Art of exploration and discovery. This covers philosophy, religion, and science.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Gaucho]

Re: OMG DCL....that was so profound

Yes, I agree with DCL... so well said and so concise.

Without art, the soul of a people, culture, nation, or race dies.. so DCL is correct...it is the soul's mirror.

I am overwhelmed once again by DCL.

SIREN
___________________________________________________
PRESIDENT OF THE DCL LIT BULL GOD CLUB*

Siren, honey, no offense, but don't you ever get tired of being DCL's caddie? I mean, you are a guru in your own right, you know. Just asking.

Oh, yeah. FUCK!

 

[Never]

~ahem~
Bit O' the green eye goin' 'round.
Sometimes people just agree with one another a great deal. Sometimes people like each other a great deal as well. Calling someone another's 'caddie' is a bit offensive though, I doubt Siren thinks of herself as a carry along.

 

[Siren]

hahahaha

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Can an atheist be a god? Can a guru be a caddy? I'd rather be a hammer than a nail, koo-koo-ka-chu.

 

[Gaucho]

Re: hahahaha

OH sweet Gaucho....

What's the matter baby...you want me to be your caddie instead? I bet you do....

La Siren ADORES DCL.... I will be his caddie, his puppy, his shadow...I aint proud...I dont care...DCL RULES...

(BTW...I Can be persuaded to do so for others Gaucho...yummy boy)..but as NEVER said, I aint no carry along...
unless....
Never carries me along....she promised me a toaster oven and a look at never never land..
*look at me cant you see I'm Flyinggggggggg !!!!

Never---now that is some sexy stuff right there....yea baby, do I make you randy baby? do I?

SIREN
____________________________________________________
~I MAY BE A GURU BUT DCL IS A GOD~

[Edited by Siren on 07-26-2000 at 01:30 PM]

Actually, I was hoping you might allow me to be your caddie. After all, you are the guru and I am merely experienced. As for Never, my eyes are Hazel, hon, and I'm into sharing. You know what I mean?

Besides, if you're worried about the size of your clit, maybe you need both Siren and me to "carry you along".

What do you think, Siren?

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK (In your honor, my dear)

 

[Mensa]

I've seen it

Art is the man living next door. It says so on his mailbox.

 

[Unclebill]

Art is the concretization of an abstraction, particularly an abstraction of a philosophical, moral or intellectual nature.

The benefit is that it translates the abstraction into a form in which more people are capable of understanding and recognizing the ideas set forth in the abstraction than might be able to do so by a purely intellectual exercise.

 

[CreamyLady]

Considering all I wanted to do was change the subject, and provide some more ammunition for an ongoing argument, this really did the trick. Thanks, everyone.

I still think that art is truth at the time of telling. The other definitions will definitely give my friend something to chew on though. She thrives on argument!

 

[Slut_boy]

Some the definitions are very formalised. Does art have to be a concious thing? Does art have to be a mirror to/of the soul? That would suggest a meaningful construction, consciously or unconsciously. My definition would be much simpler, and far broader. I like to think of art as an "expression". An expression without limit - not necessarily just of the soul, or just coming from beyond the basic instinctial motivation. Why isn't that also art?

 

[CreamyLady]

That is a good point, Slut Boy.

When I work with clay, the clay "tells" me what it wants to be. I couldn't describe this properly to anyone who doesn't feel it, but there is a return to my fingers that directs how I shape it.

I might go in with the idea of making a bowl, but what comes out is a bas relief of a bacchanal. Who knows? Who actually shaped it?

When there is a formal arrangement of items before students for a still life, why does each student pick only a few items, discarding the rest, and recompose the piece to suit him or herself?

The same items are before everyone in the class, but if there are 20 students you will get 20 different drawings.

Sometimes I am mystified by what comes from my fingers. Other times, I am appalled. I still wonder, though, which is art, and which is just dreck.

 

[Flagg]

OMG Siren - that was so fuckin' stomach churning

This thread has offered lots of interesting definitions of art. Of course none of them are right and none of them are wrong as art is in the eye of the beholder. A thought occurred to me as I read this thread though. Art could be defined simply as the creativity of man. This would uphold only if it were correct to assume that an animal is incapable of producing material of an artistic nature.

So to bring this thread on a tangent - do any of you think that animals are capable of producing art?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

You ever see Tyson box?

 

[Isabella Thorne]

Wrangling with Art

I think Debra and I are going to be wrangling about this for some time to come.

ummmm Miss Creamy .. i was wondering what all this "wrangling" was about .. it sounds kinda kinky .. lol

... oh Mensa dear .. Art is MY neighbour too!!! ... you don't think? .. i'll tell you what .. i'll go to my window and wave and you do the same .. ok?

i also think art, as well as beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. But art is also in the eye of the interpreter of that art, too.

 

[CreamyLady]

Re: Wrangling with Art

I think Debra and I are going to be wrangling about this for some time to come.

ummmm Miss Creamy .. i was wondering what all this "wrangling" was about .. it sounds kinda kinky .. lol

Nothing that kinky, Miss Thorne. She's a lawyer, I'm not, and we argue about everything. It's fun.