As human beings we have created art for thousands of years, but what exactly is it? It’s a tricky thing to define as it’s so personal and subjective to the person making or experiencing it. It can be made with a quill, a paintbrush or a Nikon, and the meaning behind it will vary greatly depending on any number of factors as well. But there is one thing that seems to hold true regardless of the tool being used: the more of yourself you put into it, the better the piece will be.
A lot of people have their own ideas about what art is, but they all come down to the fact that it is something that stirs emotions in you. That could be a love of beauty, a disgust at injustice or just simply the desire to create yourself. And it’s because of this emotional response that is tied to individual experiences that makes a work of art so special. It’s why three different people can experience the same piece of art and have wildly different reactions to it.
In the past, when a painting or sculpture was created, it was considered to be art because it was done by a ‘fine artist’. These artists would have been trained in a specific medium, such as tempera, fresco, oil or acrylic paints, ink or water-based paints, or in wood carving or sculpture. The choices that were made about the specific material used, the colour palette and the shape of the piece all fed into the overall feel and meaning of the work.
This approach has changed over time, especially in Western culture with the rise of Romanticism and the search for originality. This has led to a widening gap in opinion about what can be considered as art. While many still follow the classical definition, having to do with order, harmony and representation, a large group have looked for ways to see the world anew and strive for difference, often through abstraction.
The physical execution of art has also changed over time, with the introduction of new media and technologies. The internet has opened up a whole new range of possibilities, but the overall feeling of what is artistic remains the same.
A great piece of art can take cultural practices and transport them into different parts of the world without losing their identity. When you see a Zen garden in Sydney or San Francisco, you know it’s an authentic practice that originated from China, and the same goes for origami swans at a wedding or Bollywood movies. It’s the power of art that allows for such transference, and it is what makes it so essential to society. Art can strengthen the will and push people to act, which is why politicians and activists often use it in their campaigns. They want to tug on the heartstrings of the public, and in turn influence the way they govern and make decisions.