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What is art?
Pythagoreanism founder Pythagoras (ca. 570 – ca. 490 BCE) favored the idea of Quadrivium. "The quadrivium comprised the four subjects, or arts, taught in medieval universities after the trivium. The quadrivium consisted of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. These followed the preparatory work of the trivium made up of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. In turn, the quadrivium was considered preparatory work for the serious study of philosophy and theology."
Pythagoreanism school of thought is exceptional and I feel it is of value when explaining how deep art goes into our history of thought on this earth (of course it goes even deeper!).
All art is of value when involving self expression, logic, and imagination.
I mean check these out! (I encourage search engine'ing always)
1 - 2 = pi into music
3 – 4 = motion of objects into art
5 = a song based on the formula of pythagora
6 = video is a instructional video on how Pythagorean theory works musically
7 – 8 = videos created by Symphony of Science
9 = personal favorite acoustic guitarist: Ewan Dobson
1.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhlMHoEx8c4
2.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdJhGtOhCkc&feature=related
3.) http://www.disinfo.com/2011/05/physics-is-beauty-video/
4.) http://ensign.editme.com/t43dances
5.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DXEsz7vnAM&feature=fvwrel
6.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NSZ7KkCP5Q&feature=related
7.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB7jSFeVz1U&feature=player_embedded
8.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGK84Poeynk&feature=relmfu
9.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqPYte8tvc
Take this thread as openly as possible; consider self in reflection and/or separate from the world. Open-endedness is a want/need involving art in my opinion.
The human mind can understand universal concepts and store them into such a small package, art is only one way in which these concepts can be dictated, but this is the most entertaining form! (Opinion)
What is art?
Gord G 30+
Intuition is often relegated to the level of mysticism. An involuntary function of cognitive thinking that lacks the rigor or prerequisite degree of awareness associated with logic. But intuition is a universal awareness that precludes interconnectivity and senses the whole. It’s the seamless nature of intuition that eludes detection, classification or demarcation.
Art is clarity of expression. Clarity is achieved by ignoring the fragmenting nature of intellect and sensing the seamless nature of the whole. Paint, pencil, notes, choreography, words, digital memes, are all tools of expression. But they will never be the thing being expressed. The degree of skill in the use of these tools brings the artist closer to expressing the universal truth felt by everyone. Creating a feeling of authenticity.
Li-Chuan Chong
I'd suggest thinking along the lines of ontology, and epistemology, e.g. "art is...", "art as..."
And I'd also like to recommend a few books:
"The Principles of Art" by Robin George Collingwood (Oxford University Press, 1958)
"But Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory" by Cynthia A. Freeland (Oxford University Press, 2002)
"Art as Experience" by John Dewey - originally a series of lectures on aesthetics, delivered as the first William James Lecturer at Harvard in 1932 (Perigee Trade, 2005)
guy cuypers
if you ask Zappa he answered :
Art is making nothing of something (and upsite) and even try to sell it
making something of nothing is just using your imagination
imagination can be often artistic
art is what you or them choose
of those
imaginations
Abhiram Lohit 10+
I know there are many atheists here. I'm not talking about the God of religion, but the God of mysticism. That universal consciousness that gives us all our core commonalities.
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Mysticism exist in religions.
And there are a lot of atheist on here. But atheism does not mean they believe the word "God" is always tied to one meaning. I find existentialism and natural philosophy to be similar approaches to breaking down the universe.
Do you feel "art" is a human skill, ability, and/or result?
If so, tell me, what is the "art" of culture(s)?
Abhiram Lohit 10+
I feel art is the result of overwhelming intuition. When intuition overtakes emotion, logic, science, skill, etc, then art is created. That's why art cannot be taught. In art classes, the instructor can only attempt to arouse or tickle the intuition of the students. Whoever is "gifted" that strong intuition, becomes renowned as a genius. When Einstein came up with the concept of relativity, he was creating art. It became science only when it was put into math equations. We appreciate relativity as if it were a beautiful painting or a piece of music.
Skill does not help much, because "skill" is "what is" but "art" is "what could be". A genius painter is not restricted by the types of brushes he has, or the number of colors he has. His intuition will push forward and he will mix colors in different proportions or do something else with his brushes (e.g., Pointillism).
In fact, I'll say that the art of one generation becomes the skill of the next generation. So that the new generation has to use the skill to create its own art. Mind you, that doesn't mean the previous art is thrown away, but it's incorporated in the skillset of the new gen.
Of course, art is appreciated only in a context, and this is where culture come in. A specific culture provides the context in which others can appreciate a work of art. "Culture" as in "an individual's frame of interpretation of his world". Entire nations might share a common frame of interpreting their world, hence you have cultures of different nations. However, it could happen that one guy gets a piece of "postmodern art", and the guy next to him, his twin brother, doesn't get it. That's because they two have different "cultures".
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
When I used "skill" I was considering; logical reasoning, natural philosophy, science, and skepticism are skills, which are used in overall philosophical thinking.
Science fiction is a fine example of art; consider all the predictions of today people had 100 years ago. They are outlandish. Flying cars, space exploration, one government, one system, etc. This is futuristic philosophy and it is presented as an art, for entertainment purposes. It is interesting because most people have poor critical thinking skills and cannot consider their entertainment to be a reality, or a future reality, because they are not trained to thinking "imaginatively" or "critically" or "artistically". To think that way is a different way of thinking, some are better than others at it, but everyone can learn and practice how to think artistically, as well all can learn academically.
Transhumanism philosophies and ideologies are fine example of this discussion.
Approaching reality artistically has a lot of diverse results.
Culture is a tricky word, but for our conversation let's consider the term to be Wikipedia's definition. Not related to art, but related to humans as being a robot with instincts. We are patterned creatures as all animals are, but we have a high level of intelligence. Those diverse intelligences created cultures of all sorts. I agree all cultures have their own art, but are all the arts of equal value?
I believe fully we are evolving into higher and higher intelligences.
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/26/12-year-old-genius-expands-einsteins-theory-of-relativity/
Aaron Zauner
You might say that it isn't art because "It didn't take long to make" or "a six-year old could do that just as easily!" However, I don't think that there is any valid argument as to whether it is art. I think that the real question that one needs to answer is "what does this mean to me?" To me, that infinitely more important than trying to define something as art. While you may not be able to argue anything as art, you evaluate it as good or bad and meaningful or meaningless. In the end, it shouldn't matter whether Jackson Pollock or Mark Rothko are true artists, it should matter whether their work means something to your own human experience.
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Good response, thank you.
Aaron Zauner
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Aaron Zauner
Julia Neal
"what's the difference between the egg i draw on a paper and the egg Da Vinci draws?"
The fundamental difference is that you are neither da Vinci nor may your egg have the same purpose. Toss in the lack of critics bolstering the celebrity of your 'egg piece' along with who you're specifically asking that question and you see where da Vinci's leverage comes from. Asking that to an architect, art historian, curator, botanist, or child will have varying answers, which I believe is best as "art" should be something variable.
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Chirag Chauhan 30+
I didn’t want to Google it or Wikipedia it ..So I was searching answers from within..
In a few second a thought pop up “whatever you do with heart is an ART”
I was so happy to realise it .. and then something interesting happen that evening …
It’s a little story I’ll tell you if anyone interested to know
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Not only does it rhyme, it is true. Share your story if you want!
Chirag Chauhan 30+
I asked her, how did that thought came in her mind?? And she was asking me why I’m asking her that question.
Then she told me she went to Uni admission interview ,and the interviewer asked her the same question ,and she answered it the first thing came in her mind , which was “whatever you do with heart is an ART” .The interviewer ,counter questioned her , So even terrorist do things with heart would you consider that as an ART as well “.
And my friend cleverly answered YES, but that would be destructive ART.
She didn’t got admission in that uni and she couldn’t careless about it , but she knew why she didn’t get admission . :) :) :)
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
I can also understand why she didn't get admitted! They would have to be crazy to accept a person being so brutally honest, completely honest people do not get far in leading industries. In my opinion. Your friend is an inspiration.
Thanks for the story man.
Chirag Chauhan 30+
Kathryn Holt
"What can I learn from a work of art ?" is as important a question as "what does this mean to me?"
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
But, I do not understand, elaborate.
Kathryn Holt
Artists show us how they see the world, whether it's the physical world, the world inside us or the culture of the world the artist lives in. Art takes the temperature of the society within it is created.
Amily shaw 10+
what's the difference between the egg i draw on a paper and the egg Da Vinci draws?
emm answers i came up with were experiences just as what Austin says and also intentions(what the artist intened in his/her work) and arrangements of meanings.
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
I mean is it because you want to br like a Da Vinci in skill or fame?
This still is only one or two interpretations of what art is and can get you. However these two ideas alone are not what art should be about in my opinion. Art is the way the soul can come out in visual or physical form.
A child paints a picture of his/her family/house/friends/events because those are symbols of happiness to them. That is art; it is arguably not attractive art yes, but the feelings of happiness arise when that child will review his picture again. So what you may be weighing in talent and ability, I weigh in emotional expression.
Most artist create art as a response to their emotions pertaining to the world in which they are in; also the "better" artist practice their art often and with enthusiasm. I will not say all artist are responding to happy emotions, but emotions none the less.
Amily shaw 10+
if art is just a emotional expression then everyone is artist cuz everyone reponde to and express his/her emotion in a certain way.
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Would of made my last comment more fragmented!
Alan Bishop
What may be art to one person is craft or illustration to another.
I reviewed all of your search engineering and considered that mostly what I observed was craft ... repeating the original art of Pythagoras. The geometric pattern created by plotting planets is illustration, again in my opinion.
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Thanks for the add.
lynn eschbach 30+
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
but I agree. please expand.
lynn eschbach 30+
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Austin R 20+
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
art = human experience
for you Austin?
Austin R 20+
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Austin R 20+