What is art?

COM 232 Visual Literacy

Fall 2011, Assignment 1

What is Art?

David Diaz

What is Art?

I have come across this question several times, and answering does not seem to get any easier. Art by definition is the representation of ideas and concepts through a medium that can be picked up by one or more of our senses. Art takes several shapes and forms; some of these are sculpture, painting, film, photography, music, literature, architecture and digital arts. Modern societies bombard our senses with all kinds of imagery, sounds, readings, three dimensional objects, flavors and aromas; consequently, losing track of true genuine art is easy. So, what is and is not art? Is a poster at the grocery store art? Is art universal? Do we all interpret and understand art the same way? And what are the criteria to defend a work as art?

For me art is the process of communicating ideas and concepts though a medium in the right context. Art is an amazingly interesting human desire, for millenniums we have shown a strong drive for the most basic element of art which are space, line, color, shape, texture, form and value. We humans also have a strong attraction for harmony, balance and rhythm. These characteristics, as we experience them in art today, are not any close to being essential for our survival, yet we have developed this craving for art beyond our basic instincts; furthermore, we have achieved the impossible, and that is the materialization of the intangible; ideas and concepts.

Art is when an artist goes through a process of conceptualization and creation of a piece that carries an idea, concept or feeling. Then this piece should be displayed for it to serve its purpose of creating the desire reaction on the viewer. The context in which the piece is created and displayed also plays an important role; the artist should understand the correlation between the piece itself, the space where it is displayed, the timing, and the viewer. Any piece created by an artist that has all these characteristics is a piece of art. Brazilian artist Vik Muniz is an example of an artist that has well structured process for the creation of his art. First, his pieces start with an idea follow with an exploration of it; then a conceptualization of the work. Finally the piece is created and displayed to convey the desired message. Muniz’s Picture of Garbage Series is a collection of pictures taken at Jardim Gamacho world’s largest garbage dump in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There, he created portraits of the catadores, pickers of recyclable materials. His work was displayed and sold in actions all around the globe. The main idea of the project was to create awareness of the conditions in which the catarores work and the invaluable importance of their work for the local economy and the environment. A documentary film of this project was created with the title of Waste Land. Muniz donated all the money to the catadores to create better working conditions and a better standard of life.

Decorative pieces, crafts and any other mass produced artifact which sole purpose is to acquire an economical gain are not art. I have tremendous admiration and great respect for craftsmen and graphic designers; I appreciate and enjoy their work, but what they do is not art. The line between arts and crafts is very thin. Even though I do not consider craftsmen and graphic designers to make art, I understand the importance of their creativity and the immense part they take in society. Without them we would live in a grey world lacking of any sensory stimulation; moreover, we probably would not have fine arts as we know them today. Some examples of these are craftsmen like jewelers, textile workers, furniture makers, production artists, graphic designers and industrial designers.

My views of what is art and what is not are very contemporary and westernized; when asking myself, is art universal? I have to say yes, but not by definition; people around the world have different understanding and interpretations of art. What is true for me is not necessarily true for everybody else. I believe is possible to come to a common ground on the definition of art. An artist in New York City is exhibiting her work at a prestigious gallery; a craftsman in china uses a thousand years old technique to make fine pottery and a shaman in the heart of Africa sculpts a figure out of wood for a religious ceremony. Art is a vast field. Each culture perceives and treats art differently according with their customs and believes.

If I were going to find myself in a conversation where the subject was a piece of art, the way I would defend it would be by bringing up the characteristics and context that a contemporary piece of art should meet. These characteristics are idea, conceptualization and construction. The context is the strong and clear relationship between piece, place, time, and viewer. First, I would talk a about the artist background and his/her body of work. Second, I would refer to the artist statement to talk about the specific piece in discussion. Then I would try to imagine and explain the process that took place from idea to concept to art piece. Finally I would try to understand and make clear the connection between piece, place, time, and viewer.

Art take many shapes and forms; modern societies overload us with all kind of elements that are easily mistaken for art. Art communicates ideas and concepts though a medium using the right context. Pieces of art go through a complex process orchestrated by the artist; in this process the idea becomes a concept then a piece of art; this piece then stimulate the viewer at the right moment at the right place. On the other hand, craftsmen and graphic designers play an important role in society, but their end products are not considered art. For most societies there is a form of art. We all have different interpretations and understanding of it, but we can come close to have a universal concept of art. Defending a work as art is possible by understanding the creative process and the context in which the piece is placed.