What Makes An Art?
The Unending Debate As To What Counts As One
INTRODUCTION
I have previously written about nature and the human form as things studied under Philosophical Aesthetics. For this article, I would focus on the question of Art. What art is, what counts as art and what purpose it serves. Since art is a core theme in Aesthetics, I think it’s but proper to dedicate an essay solely focused on it. To understand what art is and why it is relevant.
Art is defined as the expression of human creativity by producing works that are appreciated for their beauty and emotional weight. Though art is commonly referred to as paintings and sculptures, mostly things represented visually, it also encompasses other forms such as music, literature, and various forms of creative expression.
Like most topics in Aesthetics, Art is a delicate matter because artists and philosophers alike do not always agree with their definitions of it. What’s more, as with all things concerning beauty, it is hard to rationalize what beauty is since it appeals to emotion rather than reason.
We feel aesthetic experiences rather than think of them. Art is generally divided into two more categories, art as a Pattern and art as Representation. Let’s dive deeper.
