Artworks are objects or displays with aesthetic significance, often incorporating social commentary and influencing both individual perception and societal dialogue. The term may also refer to the process of creating such a work. Creating artworks has been shown to positively impact mental health, especially among young people.
Traditionally, the idea of what constitutes an artwork has been highly subjective. For example, a painting might be considered a piece of fine art by some and yet considered an object of folk art by others. Some theories of art have tried to establish more objective criteria. These have included cluster theory, which identifies a set of seven properties (or “clustered elements”) that supposedly define an artwork. These include, but are not limited to, the notions of artistic intention and meaning, formal properties, expressive properties and the capacity for an aesthetic experience. The emergence, in the twentieth century, of works that seem to differ radically from all previous ones, has fueled some opposition to conventionalist definitions.
Another theory of art is based on Hegel’s concept of truth, in which beauty is the sensuous/perceptual expression of a deepest metaphysical truth, and in which this truth is the absolute that energizes and propels the self-consciously developing universe. Hegel argues that the creation of new artworks is the way in which this truth is communicated to and experienced by individuals within a culture.
A third approach focuses on the purpose of an artwork, which is to create a shared understanding of the world and a common vision of reality. For this reason, an artwork must be both meaningful and aesthetically pleasing. In this view, an artwork can be understood as a way of expressing the values of a particular culture, such as its sense of order and its concern for the future.
An additional purpose of art is its ritualistic and symbolic value. For this reason, many cultures produce sacred artworks, such as temples and monuments. The use of these artworks in ceremonies and performances is intended to convey a message and encourage the audience to follow its lead.
Lastly, anthropologists have recognized that, in many cultures, artworks may function as symbols of an entire cosmological system. This role is not assigned by the artist but is a function of a specific cultural context in which the artwork is created.
An alternative to the traditional definitions of art is the “family resemblance” view, which holds that something is an artwork if it resembles, in some sense, certain paradigm artworks that possess most although not all of the typical features of art. This view has been opposed by several cluster theorists, who argue that it is a form of institutionalism.