What is Art?

What is Art?

“Art is the result of techniques and abilities made by an artist to create an appreciable product”, Here is a definition gave by Diallo Djibril , an English language intensive researcher in Victoria, Canada. Using this definition as a starting point, I am going to, through this editorial express, discuss it and also give my own definition of Art.

“...a result of techniques and abilities ...”

This part of the statement make us reflect on the exactness of the words chosen. First of all for the meaning. “Abilities” and technique fit in the two contexts of art:On one side, concerning something that have been worked in a institution with some established rules. The technique worked in a school for example, and the abilities of using established techniques such as perspective or the rule of third.

On the over side, concerning a gift (something innate) or something that has been worked without the application of established rules: Folk art. Folk art first defined the art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants. Nowadays, It is mainly refered to a oeuvre made by someone who don't really have the knowledge to do it. Theora Hamblett, a famous painter from Oxford, Mississippi, is a perfect example for a Folk art painter. Hamblett painted without any consistent background (neither proportional nor perspective were present in her work).That didn't affect the fact that her art was and is still appreciated. That brings diversity, originality and became because of it , ”appreciable”.

“...made by an Artist...”

This part of the sentences, unlike the previous, can be controversial because, some of the objects that we now consider as art have not always been considered as it. For example, Greek pottery were used in a practical way more than for decoration (these pottery were used for food, drinks and so on) or a Turkey-quilt exposed in the museum of the university of Mississippi in Oxford:this Turkey-quilt was made out of pieces of old clothes and were used for domestic necessities .

So the people who created this art (The pottery or the turkey-quilt) were not really considered artists even if they made things that can, nowadays, be qualified as art.

“...create an appreciable product...”

This part of the sentence shows the aim of art. The term “product” defines both material (Paintings, pottery, sculptures...) or immaterial things (music, theater, cinema...).The aim of the art in general is to be appreciate. Even for pottery or other material that were not made to become oeuvre-d'arts, They are considered as art starting from the moment that they are not used anymore for their basic functions but exposed to be appreciated by a public.

For me, Art is a relative notion. As a man made creation (for entertainment or for religious purpose), the notion of art depends of every individual person. Only the willing make art. I can see something as art because I decided that it is art (Consciously or subconsciously). For instance people who go to the museum, expect to see art, so, even if toilets are exposed there, they will see it as art. Art is a personal and individual, but not only. Art also depends on society and influences .For instance, if an artist decided to represent G*D in a painting it will be for most people, not art at all because the divinities are not supposed to be represented. The Jocund of Leonardo Da Vinci is an other example of the influence of society. It is considered as art everywhere even by people who never saw it because it has a cultural impact.

All throughout, we have been working on projects that contains paintings, photography, writings and so on.

In on side we are not painters or professional photographers, so we may not have the skills required to do these oeuvres but, in the over side, we had to follow some rules established (by the professors) such as the rule of third or the respect of color and brightness balance in photography. Our art is situated between awkwardness represented by Folk art and the opposite which is called fine art.

Referring to the definition above, I decided to consider it as Art but for someone exterior to the project, it will not be Art and will be surely “naive” and awkward. But if it was exposed in a museum, I don't think that those same people would consider it naive or awkward anymore.

ISSABRE Hamadoun