Response to "Descriptive."

Response #9

In Shawna's blog, she posted an entry about how art is descriptive and how each piece of work conveys a message to the observer. Sometimes the message the artist intended to portray is not exactly what the observer sees. Shawna, like Morris Weitz, believes art really can never be defined. It is true that "art" encompasses a huge range of works and is always evolving and changing as generations continue and Shawna states that art is meant to make us think so it does not need a set definition. Shawna asks, "Do you think that art will ever be defined or do you think that it should be?"

I believe everything is definable. Weitz argues that the very nature of art as a practice makes definition impossible but I would have to disagree. Art is always advancing as technology advances. There are different eras of art like the impressionist and the realist and there are many different forms like paintings and sculptures but all works of art have characteristics in common which defines them as such. Back in ancient times, what they considered to be everyday tools (like pottery) is displayed in museums as art now. What was art then may not be valuable to us now because times always change and this is not just with art. As times change and we become more knowledgeable about the world, we need to advance on what we already know. In the field of science, new information is always being found because technology advances constantly. What we thought we knew may be completely different than what we know now because of advancements that are being made. The same goes for art; even though art was different in the past, it doesn't make it any less artistic than what is being created today.

Although everyone's personal tastes of what is beautiful and ugly are different and what some may see as art others may view as trash, I think we can still come up with some sort of definition to describe art. To me, art is a creative way in which one person communicates a message to another person. If the artist gets his or her point across successfully, this, to me, makes the piece more successful. I think, as long as some sort of emotions and feelings were put into a creative piece, then it is art. If the artist started with a certain intention and finished what he or she planed, then I would call that art as well. I don't think my definition is quite complete but it is a start... The definition of art is tough to come up with but I wouldn't say it doesn't exist.

My question to you is: Do you think art is definable or do you generally agree with Weitz and say that it is not? How would you define art?

This painting, "Girl With a Pearl Earring," is also the focus of one of my favorite novels written by Tracy Chevalier.