What is art?

[Sawyer]

Art: the outward expression of human creativity.

[Rio]

Of course, it's not one of the basic essentials to survival but I think it's one of the secondary one's like entertainment and an outlet to creativity. I think the human species would be more messed up today if we can't de-stress in this day and age.

[Alexander_Hamilton]

I prefer not to worry too much about the definition of art. It's so weird and subjective I just don't bother trying to get specific.

[Delphinus]

Of course, it's not one of the basic essentials to survival but I think it's one of the secondary one's like entertainment and an outlet to creativity. I think the human species would be more messed up today if we can't de-stress in this day and age.

The production of art is psychologically necessary, sure. But is art itself necessary, or is the act of creation the important part?

[Fenn]

The production of art is psychologically necessary, sure. But is art itself necessary, or is the act of creation the important part?

Well...if we include the performing arts then can't we say any form of communication is art? Some definitions of art include words (spoken and written) and physical gestures. We would certainly not survive without communication.

[butternut]

Well...if we include the performing arts then can't we say any form of communication is art? Some definitions of art include words (spoken and written) and physical gestures. We would certainly not survive without communication.

no, we would not survive without communication. But communication could even be bland, straightforward and blunt, just getting the point across. There is no use of figures of speech in writing, or any plays or anything at all.
The whole point of creating those beautiful expressions is to create an impact in the receiver's mind. For example, if you take a play about the life of a person, or a simpler one, a social cause : the play creates a much more impact and lasting impression than reading the moral in newspaper-print. Same goes with posters, or songs. That's the reason most people go for 'creativity' and 'innovation'.

[The_shaman]

This is a question I have been studying a lot lately. Naturally, there is no one correct answer to this question, since many people will include/exclude different mediums or elements from art.

How do you define art? What does art mean to you? For me it is a means of creative expression, and a way of breaking the barrier of reality. Each work of art is its own world, one limited only by the artist.

Not really this is actually answered in art appreciation classes. Art is a form of communication, whether you understand what is being communicated to you naturally or mechanically, its communicating something to you. This is actually something I truly didn't understand until recently, and with it came a new found respect for cubism, abstraction, and fauvism.

[violin]

In my native language the word art also means: mastery, skill, proficincy, science, cleverness... At school we had a lot of classes that was named as Arts like: Drawing Arts, Music Arts, Cooking Arts, Technical Arts. Later they combined Music and Drawing into just Arts, removed Cooking and renamed Technical Art to "Work and Technology".
But when someone say the word art to me I aways think of Paintings, Sculptures and the process of creating such.
I'm an engineer and when students in different majors create a picture, model of a device people call that art. But when I create it in away that it's real and working - it is considert an invetion or just a device. Maybe in art there are no limits while when I design something I have to consider and obey many things and/or laws. Like for example: the size of the components, the number of wires I need, the space I can have between them in a way that they won't interfere, the amount of curent I can use, the voltage I need, how much will the battery last if I use this and that...
In that case maybe art is something coming from imagination and used only for entertainment and informative purposes.

But will you consider my device a work of art?

I went from imagination(what I want to create and how I want it) to Desining 3D Models, drawings of it. After that altering my Models and drawings so I could make it work. Experimenting and a lot of calculations and hours of thinking. Assembly and as final step writing software....And oh what joy it is to see it wokring for the first time

Do I consider this art - no, but I think there is some art in the process itself.

I'm sorry for my long post. Just wanted to figure out what art is for me and share my thoughts with you.

[The_shaman]

In my native language the word art also means: mastery, skill, proficincy, science, cleverness... At school we had a lot of classes that was named as Arts like: Drawing Arts, Music Arts, Cooking Arts, Technical Arts. Later they combined Music and Drawing into just Arts, removed Cooking and renamed Technical Art to "Work and Technology".
But when someone say the word art to me I aways think of Paintings, Sculptures and the process of creating such.
I'm an engineer and when students in different majors create a picture, model of a device people call that art. But when I create it in away that it's real and working - it is considert an invetion or just a device. Maybe in art there are no limits while when I design something I have to consider and obey many things and/or laws. Like for example: the size of the components, the number of wires I need, the space I can have between them in a way that they won't interfere, the amount of curent I can use, the voltage I need, how much will the battery last if I use this and that...
In that case maybe art is something coming from imagination and used only for entertainment and informative purposes.

But will you consider my device a work of art?

I went from imagination(what I want to create and how I want it) to Desining 3D Models, drawings of it. After that altering my Models and drawings so I could make it work. Experimenting and a lot of calculations and hours of thinking. Assembly and as final step writing software....And oh what joy it is to see it wokring for the first time

Do I consider this art - no, but I think there is some art in the process itself.

I'm sorry for my long post. Just wanted to figure out what art is for me and share my thoughts with you.

Actually yes this is art whether you think it is or know it is, there is still a element of design to it which makes it such.

[Fenn]

Can't see the pics