An artwork is a piece of creative expression that captures a moment in time. It is the result of an artist’s interpretation of a subject and a viewer’s emotional and intellectual response.
A work of art can take many forms and is found across a variety of media including paintings, sculptures, films, photographs, architecture and installations. Art is a powerful social tool for building healthy communities and has the potential to provoke thought, discussion and debate. Artwork can also encourage a more rounded understanding of culture, history and the world we live in.
The question “What is art?” has been asked for centuries, with a range of answers. The most commonly held definition is that art is any kind of work that expresses a human creator’s intention. Others include the idea that the work must be created using an artistic skill, such as painting, sculpting or drawing, and it must create a specific aesthetic effect. Still others have argued that art has to be about something in particular, such as religious or political ideas or historical events, and that it must contain symbolic meanings.
Another way to think about what an artwork is about is to consider the ‘family resemblance’ view of art. This suggests that an artwork is an artwork if it resembles certain paradigm works, which possess most but not all of the typical features of art. Finally, some have opted for a more etymological approach to the concept of art, arguing that it is an artwork if it is a product of a cultural tradition in which the arts are considered as being important (Carroll, 2006).
As well as identifying how an artwork is organised (i.e. grouped; overlapping; echoed; repeated; fused edges; contrasts in size or position; distracting junctions) it is also helpful to explore its shape and form. Visual perception research suggests that one of the first tasks the brain must undertake is to sort out shapes from their surroundings. It is also helpful to consider the way the artist has chosen to present recognisable objects, places and scenes. Is this realistic; distorted; stylised; abstracted; or hidden?
A key part of the interpretive process is considering what mood an artwork conveys. Does it evoke a sense of joy; exhilaration; fear; sadness; serenity; or excitement? How does the artist communicate this through the use of colour, scale, composition and materials?
An artwork’s context is crucial to its overall impact. Was it commissioned by a patron for a particular purpose; constructed on a historic site; or made in response to a design brief? How did this influence its outcome?