The Definition of Art
Throughout history, art has been used for many purposes, from celebrating a royal event to commemorating the death of an esteemed leader. Art has also been an important tool for healing and spiritual development. Today, art continues to inspire, encourage conversation and bring attention to social injustices. It has the power to transform people and change our world for the better.Despite this, it has been difficult to define what exactly makes something art. The question is complicated by the fact that art is often based on personal experiences and can be interpreted in many different ways. Nevertheless, there are some basic concepts that are common to all art forms.The first principle is that a work of art must have aesthetic value. A work must appeal to the viewer’s sense of beauty and evoke emotions. This can be accomplished by using color, form or other elements. However, a piece of art can also have meaning beyond its aesthetic qualities and be a representation of a particular concept or idea. This is known as conceptual art.Another principle is that art must be an expression of the artist’s own unique perspective or view point. This is the most subjective and challenging aspect of defining what is art. Many artistic expressions are influenced by cultural traditions, but an individual’s own perspective can make them unique works of art. This is one of the reasons why there are so many different types of art and styles, each with their own specific characteristics that set them apart from others.While some definitions attempt to explain both the contingent cultural and historical features of art, others give priority to explaining its more abiding properties. A cluster theory, for example, defines artworks by their possession of certain properties, such as representational, expressive or formal properties. This is often problematic because it creates a hierarchical structure where only “good” artworks are considered to be true art.A more radical criticism of the pursuit of a definition of art is that it confers ontological dignity and respectability on social phenomena that should in fact be subject to rigorous, critical scrutiny and societal change. Furthermore, definitions of art often incorporate or presuppose a framework that is systematically biased and corrupt. For example, some theorists have suggested that men and women have systematically different artistic styles or methods of appreciating art, leading to androcentric definitions of art.