Artworks are created in response to a design brief, but their purpose may be to communicate ideas; express a personal or social viewpoint; challenge the viewer; entertain and amuse; provide beauty (see aesthetics); or be utilitarian. They may also have a spiritual or philosophical motivation; be political or propagandistic; be symbolic; or be allegory or parody. They may explore the nature of perception; create strong emotions; or be used as symbols to convey religious, moral, cultural, scientific or social concepts and ideas.
The defining properties of artworks are debated in the philosophy of art, and this topic is central to the professional disciplines of art history, art criticism and art theory. The simplest definitions of art, often called “classical” or “institutional” definitions, assume that something is an artwork if it exhibits certain kinds of properties. These include representational, expressive and formal properties, and these are standardly cited by contemporary discussions of what counts as art. However, it is possible to argue that these definitions are not meaningful or enlightening. List-like or enumerative definitions, lacking any principles, do not explain why what is on the list is included and they fail to account for the existence of things that are neither arts nor nonarts.
A more sophisticated approach seeks to understand how art arises, and this is the subject of the discipline of art theory. Artworks are understood to arise from a particular world in which art is produced, and an understanding of this world is crucial to the concept of an artwork. One such approach is based on the idea that artworks are created to serve particular purposes, and these functions are a central feature of the world in which the artwork emerges.
What are the original intentions or motivations of the artist? How do these influence the work’s resulting meanings and aesthetics?
Can you identify what kind of mood or atmosphere is created by the colour choices in the artwork? Do you feel calm; excited; sedate; tense; uneasy; foreboding; uplifting; serene?
Are there any textural or surface qualities in the artwork that help to communicate a sense of movement? Is the composition of shapes arranged in a predictable way, such as using a dominant triangle or grid format; or is it more chaotic, random, or irregular?
How are the shapes in the artwork grouped or arranged together, and how does this affect the overall composition? How do the colours create a sense of rhythm, pattern or repetition in the composition?
Do the different elements of the artwork communicate a sense of scale and proportion, or do you get the impression that some parts of the artwork are smaller than others?
Is the artwork intended to be impermanent or permanent? Does it change with the seasons, weather conditions or local environment? Is it subject to changes due to additions, renovations or repairs by other artists or users?