Monday, September 22
The question that keeps coming up in our conversation is “What is art?” and to put a Bauman twist on the seemingly simple question, some will add “What is good art, and what good is art?” It was our assignment in last week’s “Art & Culture” class to come up with a definition that we think is suitable. Needless to say, it was a simple assignment which proved to be ultimately more challenging as it was talked about more every day. A week later, we have our vague, yet unstable definitions, and are anticipating getting them analyzed in class tonight by Mr. Pepiton.
I am inclined to say that art is, in its broadest sense, a means of communication. What the art communicates is the intent of the artist, but different interpretations will be produced by various observers. If art is a means of communicating, it should be created with the purpose of inspiring thought and conveying truth. Art should require thought in the creating process and be deliberate in its meaning.
The idea of art conveying truth could be broken down into artist’s intent, which is always going to be true, and the observers understanding, which could be true or false. Art is intentional, however, not all considered to be “art” will be viewed by everyone with that respect. Therefore, art viewed in that way would be considered false.
My thoughts now are leading me to two different facets of art: God’s creation, and our interpretation of God’s creation. Man is fallen, therefore, any work created by him will reflect, or inadvertently proclaim, our sinful nature. Thus, art can never fully represent God’s creation. But should we cease creating art if the end result is nothing more than a seemingly false sentiment? Not at all. Art can convey messages in ways that words cannot. Our message is about grace and redemption, and art is our humanly attempt to illustrate and portray those true Christian principles. It is our duty to convey the truth, in whatever manner: our actions, our words, and even our art.
It is reassuring to know that philosophers have been trying to pinpoint an accurate definition of art for centuries, and have yet to do so. This has merely been an exercise to get our minds thinking about this topic.
I anticipate changes being made to my definition in the future. This is merely a collection of my thoughts(though incomplete) regarding the subject right now.
