Artworks are created by artists using a wide variety of techniques. They may be made with various mediums, such as paint, sculpture, photography and even video. They are also frequently associated with particular artistic movements. Examples of prominent art movements include Impressionism, cubism and abstract expressionism.
The purpose of artworks is often to communicate ideas, explore the nature of perception and for pleasure. In some cases, the purpose may be purely aesthetic. In other cases, the purpose may be to convey messages about social issues or a political viewpoint.
In some cases, an artwork’s purpose is to create a strong emotional response in its audience. These responses can range from anger and sadness to joy and happiness.
Some artworks are based on the human experience of the world and the universe. They can also be based on the experiences of animals or other organisms, for example, a painting depicting the life cycle of a frog.
The term “art” is derived from the Greek word ars, which means “to cut.” A work of art can be any object that has been made or designed in order to be viewed. Traditionally, an artwork has been defined by its aesthetic properties, which are based on the way in which it is perceived (see Abell 2012).
Conventional Definitions
There are many different conventions for defining art. These vary according to the period of time in which they were created and the type of property that is considered to be essential for a work of art. There are two main types of conventions: synchronic and diachronic.
Synchronic Definitions
One synchronic convention for defining art is the concept of institutionalism. This view, which was first put forward by Arthur Danto in the early twentieth century, holds that a work of art is a product of an artist’s creative activity that has been produced for presentation to an artworld public (Dickie 1984).
Another synchronic convention for defining art is to hold that art is a set of works in a certain order. This definition was developed to explain the difference between works of art that are aesthetically arranged and those that are not.
A more recent form of synchronic definition is neo-institutionalism, which suggests that all art-related entities are artworks. This view has been criticised for being too sweeping and circular.
It has also been argued that it lacks informative ways of distinguishing art institutions systems from other, structurally similar, social entities.
Neo-institutionalism is often criticized for the circularity of its definition, as well as its apparent and unfounded implication that all colored pictures are artworks. However, there is no doubt that this approach has a number of useful features, including the fact that it allows for a range of different artworks to be categorized within one class.
Regardless of the method used to define art, it is important to understand that it is a complex and varied concept. It is therefore necessary to consider a number of different theories in order to better understand it.