Eng 271 HW (Post #5) Extended Definition Essay

Define "Art"

Nowadays, art is everywhere. It is seen on the television, heard on the radio, found on bookshelves, on the internet, and even on the streets. It is impossible to avoid it. Art isn't contained in a museum. It's a part of life. But when people hear “art,” most of the time they think of just visual art, even though any form of creative writing or music can also be considered “art”. Since people have many different ideas about what “art” is and what it can be, there truly is no concrete definition for art. Even without a concrete definition, everyone knows what art is, even if they have different categories or standards for it.

If one were to search the definition for art on google, you’d be given this definition:

1. The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture,...: "the art of the Renaissance"
2. Works produced by such skill and imagination.

Though this is one definition, art can truly be anything. Some say that it is a window into a person’s mind/soul/heart. Art can, and is many times used to, convey a message. Art could also be defined as something that is created from someone’s emotions. Art comes in many forms. There are visual, audio, and written forms of artwork.

Visual art are images, like photographs, paintings, and drawings. This form of artwork is known by all as art, and it is what is commonly displayed in museums. Paintings, drawing, and photography are visual art, as most people would agree. Anything involving creativity can be considered an “art.” Even the doodles drawn by a child on a scrap of paper can be called “art” as it demonstrates creativity. Everyone has seen a visual art sometimes in their life, whether is was in one of the many art museums in the world, or even a picture in a magazine. Visual art tells a story or conveys an emotion using an image. There are many types of visual art, some examples being abstract paintings, black and white photography, and so on.

Another type of art is written art, which includes poetry and some writing. Since it comes in all different forms, and it still taps into human creativity, some can say that creative writing, and poetry are forms of artwork. Though some may say it isn’t art since it isn’t a visual piece, others may believe it is, as it can create images with words. Since writing and poetry can be used to convey emotions and creativity through the use of written words, it is very much an art, though some may disagree, because they believe that art can only be visual art. Writing can use imagery to help the reader create their own picture in their mind, instead of simply giving the audience an image, like visual art. It is said a picture is worth a thousand words, meaning it tells a story. On the flipside, in creative writing, the author tells the audience the story instead of giving them a picture. Though some writing can be considered art, not all writing is. For example, essays would not be considered writing, but a short story could. In poetry, not only does the author tell a story, but they also allow the reader to create their own interpretation of it, making the meaning of the poem different to each person. Even haikus are a form of poetry and considered an art.

Even music can be considered an art. And music, of course, is audio art. Hence, why modern musicians are called “artists.” Music is, in a way, quite similar to poetry (if the song has lyrics). Again, it would trying to convey emotions and ideas through the creativity of the lyrics in the song, though it would be vocally, allowing the artist to put emotions into the words that they wouldn’t be able to on paper. Even though music may share this similarity with poetry/writing, it still has many other parts to it, such as the music itself. Not all music has lyrics; some rely on the melody and notes of the song to convey emotions. In classical music, musicians had a great deal of choices at their disposal. Such as, which instruments to include in their piece, the role of the instruments, the notes themselves, the volume at all parts of the song, the list goes on.

Art can be virtually anything that is created from a person's imagination. It can take many forms, and its possibilities seem truly endless. Though there is no exact definition for what “art” is (or even what “writing”, “poetry”, “music”, and even “artist” are) everyone can identify it and has experienced at some point in their life. The idea of art has drastically changed and broadened since the Renaissance, as visual art has now become more about emotions and messages than the visual appeal, and what is considered “music” has completely changed altogether with the development of new technology and instruments. Only written art appears to have changed the least, as it still contains stories, emotions, and complex ideas. Perhaps, in time, even things we don’t consider art today may be seen as art by future generations.