For centuries, humans have created art to express themselves, communicate emotions and symbolically represent the world around them. Whether they are using a quill, a brush, a Nikon or a computer, they are essentially creating a piece of work that they believe is uniquely special and worth sharing with the world. And though it can be difficult to define and understand, there are some common principles that seem to hold true regardless of the medium used to create a piece.
For example, many people argue that it’s not the tool (quill, brush, Nikon or computer) that makes a piece of art, but rather the intention behind it. This could be in the form of an idea, a message or simply a desire to create something beautiful and unique. Whether or not this theory holds true remains to be seen, but it is important to remember that art does indeed come from the mind of the artist and as such, there is a certain amount of artistic license to use any medium as long as the desired outcome is achieved.
The nature of art is highly subjective, as it can be perceived in different ways depending on the individual’s experience, cultural background and artistic knowledge. For this reason, understanding a piece of art is a process that takes time and patience. However, for those who are able to appreciate a piece of art, there is something deeply satisfying about the process and the end result.
Some people believe that a definition of art cannot be completely satisfying because it would be impossible to account for all possible artworks and their properties. They argue that a universal definition would exert a stifling influence on artistic creativity. Others, on the other hand, believe that such a stifling influence is unwarranted because there are some general characteristics of art that can be defined.
These include mimesis, expression and communication of emotion, the creation of a fantasy or an illusion, the presence of some kind of skill, the intentionality of the creator and the creation of something that is beautiful, desirable or emotionally or psychologically meaningful. Various approaches have been taken to defining these properties, such as a cluster list of properties by Gaut and an approach that defines art in terms of disjunctive defining conditions (Art iff Z and Y).
In addition to traditional concepts of beauty, artistic skill and representation, modern artists are embracing a broader range of uses for their works. They are now utilizing their creative abilities to promote activism and spark constructive discourse surrounding serious social issues. This is all the more important because we now live in a world where some of the most pressing issues are rooted in human suffering and injustice. The ability for people to turn this suffering into something positive is what makes the world a better place. Art is a way to grasp the world, not just the physical world that science attempts to describe, but also the human world of culture, society and spiritual experience.