Art, Philosophy, And The Philosophy Of Art

Art is a way for humans to express creativity and imagination in various mediums of work. Art can come in the forms but are not limited to paintings, sculptures, architecture, statues, dramas, plays, music, and dance. To me, art is something that causes the person observing the artwork to feel a certain emotion such as pain, love, fear, or sadness. A great piece of artwork can make the viewer almost feel like they can replace themselves with those involved in the medium and feel the exact emotion as those in the piece feel. An example of this would be viewing the play Cyrano de Burgerac, where the playwright or artist of the play makes it possible for the viewers’ hearts to break as Roxane tells Cyrano how great the words of

Artists try to portray their views of human ideas, cultures, and lifestyles through their art. Art is defined as “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” Each artist has their own style due to the fact each person sees everything in their own way.

Art, by definition, is works created by artists: paintings, sculptures, etc., that are created to be beautiful or to express important ideas or feelings (Merriam-Webster).

Found art (also known as Ready-mades) is a description of art created by modified and undisguised objects that are not considered art for the main reason of their non-art function. The art created by these found objects convey meaning through their context, assemblage/composition and by the artists intention and approaches taken to montage pieces together.

Testadura’s mistake about the objects before him, according to Danto, is that of a philosophical error. Testadura mistakes a piece of art for an object in its real, non-artistic form. This piece of art is mistaken as an actual bed in which Testadura sleeps in. For Testadura, what he thinks is what he knows: if he could not see a difference, there was no difference. According to Danto’s statement regarding the ability to view a work as a piece of art, Testadura is incapable of viewing something as a piece of art, therefore, he lacks knowledge of art history. These works of art belonged to artists Robert Rauschenberg and Claes Oldenburg. When Testadura comes into contact with these artists’ work of art, he sees Rauschenberg’s bed hanging on a wall, splashed with desultory paint; Odenburg’s bed is uneven and sloppy. Testadura believes that the

In Arthur Danto’s essay, “The Artworld”, he explains the integration of materials such as masks and weapons into the artworld and having to shift the criteria by which people judge things as works of art as opposed to merely everyday objects (204). Danto creates an imaginary character named Testadura in order to help demonstrate the points that he makes. This character, Testadura, described by Danto as a “plain speaker and noted philistine” appraises pieces of art in a way that garners criticism from both us as readers, and Danto as the writer (205). Testadura sees everything that he can physically see, all that we can physically see. However, he cannot understand it as a work of art because of his lack of artistic identification that constitutes something as a work of art (208). Without the skill of artistic identification, Testadura will always be suspended in the purgatory of being literally correct by observing the physical aspects of art but being eternally unable to fully correctly appraise a work for the innate significance it holds representatively beyond the material.

Although, there should be no fixed definition of art as it is different for each person. People try too hard to find the definition and can sometimes forget to appreciate the effect that it has on their

Some think art to be a creative expression pleasing or pretty to view. Others think it should match the colors of their furniture, therefore perfect to hang on a nearby wall. There is no real definition of art other than it is an expression of creativity. It is not something we use just to give pleasure but more of an expression of communication between human beings. It is the universal language of the human race. Thus, like all languages it is often misinterpreted. Whether the creative expression is considered to be art is an individual view that cannot be shared by all. It can be something that pleases the senses or on the other end of the curve, shock the senses but all can be art. Shocking the sense in the areas of religion, politics or morality is where our government leaders try to suppress or delete objectionable views in order to protect our

Arthur C. Danto in “The Artworld” provides us with the argument that, “To see something as art requires something that the eye cannot descry-an atmosphere of artistic theory, a knowledge of the history of art: an artworld.” Danto shows us the importance of the artworld in order to know that a work of art is more than just what we can plainly see. Danto provides two theories he calls the “IT” (Imitation theory) and the “RT” (Reality theory). With these two theories, Danto explains how we can define art and why “The Artworld” is needed to help understand art, because after all, “these days one might not be aware he was on artistic terrain without an artistic theory to tell him so.”

Art is an object or piece of work that brings one pleasure. Art is also something you see or feel and you cannot even begin to describe the ways you like it or how it makes you feel. Art is something that portrays beauty and happiness. Art lets you see the world through another person’s perspective. Most art seems to tell a story about where a person has been and the things they have encountered along the way. It lets you connect with the artist and see things through their eyes. Art is a way of expressing one’s self without words. When I think of art, I think of paintings, portraits, sketches, and sculptures.

Debate over the definition of art has developed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. People have spent millions of dollars and given years of their lives to the craft called art. However, there has not been an agreement on what the definition of art is because it tends to be a very vague concept incorporating many cultures and ideas. It has proven itself to be an effective tool in the human expression over the years preserving deep and personal feelings along with history. Art can be defined as the creation of beauty through expression with skillful use of creativity, design, and manipulation of the viewers’ emotions.

Art, what is Art? It is an ambiguous matter: without an exact form, an exact meaning. Does it have any rules or restrictions? However, it can be a great influence on the lives of people. In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, two lovers have fell in and out of love due to Art!

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary[1][1] defines art as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also, works so produced.” This definition is inclusive of most forms of art. Unfortunately, art goes far beyond this limiting sentence. Art can be thoughts, aesthetic creations, musical compositions, or choreography. Art can be seen, heard, and/or felt. Art is concrete and abstract, at the same time. Art is expression and emotion. Art is anything.

Art has numerous purposes to many people. Some use it as a hobby to experiment with media. Others have a way of using it for commercial purposes. Back in the day it was used to tell a story. To some it’s a form of entertainment. It’s to make people happy and put a smile on faces. To others

“Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down. “- Francis Bacon. However when I learnt more about history of art and the way each movement and happenings in the world inspired artist to make new works, I was able to see much more than just a canvas with random paints and sketches. The interesting part about this concept is that each piece of art could be interpreted in many different ways. In contemporary art there isn’t right and wrong, each of us view and find different meanings and connections with artworks.