By Sunghyun Bae
Art is that which inspires, and intends to inspire
A work of art must not always be beautiful, it may be ugly as well. Weitz points out art to be an open concept; a concept that cannot be clearly defined, yet something we can recognize as distinct from other concepts. This line of thought stems from the inherent fact that art is largely a matter of taste, and personal taste varies widely. Even though as humans we have common notions of what art is, a singular definition has yet to prove itself all encompassing in its attempt at understanding the nature of art.
The concept we most often associate with art is beauty; art is beautiful. A layman's definition of art will most likely include beauty as an essential aspect of art. However, beauty is only tangentially related to art, as it is a quality that is likely to inspire thought. The Niagara falls are an awe inspiring feature of nature, quite commonly described as “beautiful”. Yet a scant few would consider the Niagara falls to be “art”. Our common understanding of art stems from the ancient Greeks, Aristotle is perhaps the most notable. Ancient Greece understood physical beauty to be virtue, and Aristotle, who praised artistic mimesis, believed that we become more noble through (beautiful)art. Thus he established symmetry, order, and proportion to be the standards of beauty. Modern bodybuilding still maintains these ancient standards, judging contestants’ attractiveness, showing that there exists a rather universal aspect to what beauty seems to be. However, a reflection of the arts of various cultures quite easily shows that people interpret beauty to be different things. Furthermore the expectation of art to be a beautiful thing is not as prevalent. Picasso’s paintings lack the ideal qualities of beauty that Aristotle imagined, yet he is considered to be one of the most influential artists of our time. Similarly, The Fountain by Marcel Duchamp, a well known work of art, similarly betrays expectations, presenting the audience with a urinal.
What do these works have in common with sculptures such as the Venus de Milo or paintings such as the Mona Lisa? They all attempt, and inspire, thought or emotion. This creates a more comprehensive definition of art, which better encapsulates outliers to our most common definitions. The Scream by Edvard Munch, presents a lone figure, warped and terrified, framed by a blood red sky. The sculpture Laocoon and His Sons depict a gruesome scene of twisted human limbs and agonized expressions and is praised as the “prototypical icon of human agony” in Western Art. Franz Kafka’s novel Metamorphosis tells the misfortune of a man transformed into a cockroach, similarly considered a modernist classic that reflects the crushing weight of family, work, and existence itself. Whether it is horror, or melancholy, wonder, or joy, art inspires thought and emotion, and reinvisions the human experience through our contemplation. Nietzsche believed that Attic tragedy was the most complete form of art as it balanced the Dionysian and Apollonian drives, our emotions and logic, which ultimately helped us understand and embrace our suffering. Thinkers such as Camus, Tolstoy, and G.K. Chesterton all expressed complex ideas in their novels, with various characters and settings.
Art is by nature subjective. I state this not to shy away from giving a concrete answer to the question of what is art, but to suggest a more complete framework upon which our judgement of art can rest. The nature of this subjectivity lies in the capability to impart or perceive meaning within the object at hand. Thus if the object of one’s perception inspires thought or emotion, it is assumed to be art by oneself. Similarly, if one holds the intent of creating art, imparting their own perceptions and ideals of what art is upon the object, it is that one believes their creation to be art. To most, the scribbles of a toddler might not be considered art. But to the toddler, it is their attempt to express their view of the world and things around them, their preferences, their memories. To the parent, it is the cause of great sentiment, joy and pride at the accomplishment of their child. I find that art is ultimately a dialogue, it is a medium of ideas and emotions much like our speech and alphabet. The meaning and validity as the thing that it is to be perceived as is entirely dependent on the observer’s ability to comprehend the message hidden within. Our language is naught but gasps of air and black and white lines to a stranger. Much the same applies to art. Vincent van Gogh and Johannes Vermeer are considered one of the most masterful painters in history. Yet, their work was only appreciated by the world after their passing. Van Gogh’s use of bold colors and thick brushstrokes to express emotion is now praised for pioneering modern art. Vermeer is now considered a forgotten genius with his masterful expression of light and perspective capturing everyday scenes. Their work was not valued as art, because even though it was beautiful, people of their time failed to understand the deeper meaning within.
In conclusion, art resists confinement to a single, rigid definition. While beauty has historically been tied to art, from Aristotle’s ideals of symmetry and proportion to the layperson’s instinctive association of art with the beautiful, it is far from its essence. The works of Picasso, Duchamp, Munch, and Kafka demonstrate that art often unsettles, disturbs, or defies expectations, yet still holds power as art because it provokes thought and emotion. Art is not merely about aesthetics but about dialogue: between creator and audience, between intent and perception, and between the familiar and the unfamiliar. Just as language is more than its sounds or symbols, art is more than its surface beauty; it is a vessel of meaning that exists in the interaction between expression and recognition. What unites the “beautiful” and the “ugly,” the praised masterpieces and the once-overlooked canvases of Van Gogh and Vermeer, is their shared capacity to move us, to make us think, to reveal something about our humanity. That, above all, is what makes something art.