The Definition of Art

Summary

The video script explores the elusive nature of art, challenging conventional definitions and highlighting the diverse perspectives of artists and thinkers throughout history. It emphasizes art's ability to communicate, inspire, and provoke thought, as well as its power to shape reality and express the inexpressible. The narrative champions the open-ended and evolving concept of art, urging viewers to embrace the myriad of interpretations and experiences art offers.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Art is a complex and elusive concept with no universally accepted definition, as noted by Ambrose Bierce's famous quote.
• 🤔 Traditional definitions of art, such as those from Oxford, may be limiting, excluding non-human creations and overemphasizing beauty and emotional response.
• 🐾 The question of whether animals can create art challenges the anthropocentric view of artistic ability and creativity.
• 🖌️ Art can be appreciated for its thought-provoking qualities rather than just beauty or emotional impact, as seen in installations by artists like Thomas Hirschhorn.
• 🌐 Art is not confined to imitating nature but can extend and transform it, as Aristotle suggested by stating that art completes what nature cannot finish.
• 🔍 Art has the power to make the invisible visible, as expressed by artists like Paul Klee and Bertold Brecht, shaping our perception of reality.
• 🌍 The creation of art is a world-building exercise, allowing artists to construct new realities that can be experienced by others.
• 💡 Art serves as a means of communication and exchange, offering insights into the artist's perspective and enabling the viewer to see the world differently.
• 🕰️ Art has the potential to outlast its creator, serving as an enduring presence that can continue to inspire and provoke thought long after the artist's life.
• 🌟 Art is a reflection of humanity, affirming our existence and providing a connection to others across time and space.
• 🚀 The act of creating art is an expression of freedom and an embodiment of hope, with artists striving to produce works that will resonate and endure.

Q & A

What is the main theme discussed in the script?

The main theme discussed in the script is the elusive and diverse nature of art, exploring various definitions and perspectives on what constitutes art throughout history.

Who is Abrose Bierce and what was his view on the definition of art?

Abrose Bierce was an American writer known for his satirical works. His view on the definition of art, as mentioned in the script, was that the word 'art' has no definition, highlighting the difficulty in pinning down a universal understanding of what art is.

What critique does the script offer on the Oxford definition of art?

The script critiques the Oxford definition of art for its limitation to 'human creative skill,' questioning the exclusion of other animals and for its focus on beauty or emotional power, which may not apply to all forms of art.

How does the script address the idea of art imitating nature?

The script references Seneca and Aristotle to discuss the idea of art imitating or extending nature. It suggests that art can both imitate and expand upon the natural world, offering something unique and distinct from nature itself.

What role does art play in communication, according to John Dewey?

According to John Dewey, art is 'the most effective mode of communication that exists,' emphasizing the impact of art on experience and its role in shaping and transmitting ideas and emotions.

How does the script describe the relationship between art and the artist?

The script describes the relationship between art and the artist as one of self-expression and recognition. Art allows the artist to affirm their presence in the world and can be a means for them to explore and understand their own emotions and ideas.

What is the significance of the phrase 'Art is a habit-forming drug'?

The phrase 'Art is a habit-forming drug' signifies the addictive and transformative power of art. It suggests that engagement with art can profoundly impact one's life, shaping perceptions and influencing one's thoughts and feelings in a way that is both compelling and enduring.

How does the script relate the concept of art to the idea of creating a different reality?

The script relates the concept of art to creating a different reality by highlighting how art can transport both the artist and the viewer to new and imagined worlds. It can offer an alternative perspective or a different order of reality, separate from the given natural world.

What does the script imply about the future of art?

The script implies that the future of art is open-ended and ever-evolving. It should remain a flexible and adaptable concept, capable of accommodating new ideas and directions to continue its role as a dynamic form of expression and exploration.

How does the script connect the appreciation of art to the broader human experience?

The script connects the appreciation of art to the broader human experience by suggesting that art serves as a means of connection and understanding between individuals. It allows people to step into the shoes of others, fostering empathy and shared experiences, and recognizing the universal humanity expressed through art.

What is the significance of the 'gap' in art as described in the script?

The 'gap' in art, as described in the script, represents the space between the artwork and the viewer, the artist and the art, and between individual interpretations. This gap is where the magic of art happens, as it allows for personal connection, interpretation, and meaning-making.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Elusiveness and Diversity of Art

This paragraph delves into the challenging nature of defining art, highlighting various perspectives and definitions throughout history. It begins with the resistance to define art and references Abrose Bierce's Devil's Dictionary, which suggests that art is indefinable. The paragraph then critiques traditional definitions, such as Oxford's, for their limitations in encompassing the full scope of art. It explores different viewpoints, from the idea that art is an extension of nature, as proposed by Aristotle, to the concept that art is about revealing what is hidden, as suggested by James Baldwin. The paragraph emphasizes the subjective and enigmatic nature of art, suggesting that its value lies in its ability to provoke thought and defy simple categorization.

05:03

🖼️ The Timelessness and Impact of Art

This paragraph discusses the enduring quality of art and its potential to outlive the artist, as encapsulated in the famous aphorism 'Art is long, life is short.' It explores the idea that art can create an 'indispensable presence' that continues to resonate even after the artist's life. The paragraph also touches on the hopeful and optimistic nature of art as a creation that aims to arrest the motion of life. It highlights the role of art in affirming existence and the human condition, as well as its power to connect us with the humanity of others. The paragraph also considers the role of art as sustenance and a means of preserving sanity, emphasizing its importance for both the artist and the audience.

10:05

🚀 The Risk and Magic of Art Creation

The final paragraph focuses on the element of risk in art and its power to shape consciousness and bring about change. It discusses the relationship between art and truth, suggesting that art can imbue truth with a magic that reaches deeper into the psyche. The paragraph also considers the power of art in the hands of individuals and groups, and how it has been used throughout history. It concludes by reflecting on the flexible nature of art as a concept, arguing that it should remain open and evolving to accommodate new directions and possibilities. The paragraph ends with a playful warning about the habit-forming nature of art and invites viewers to share their own definitions of art.

Keywords

💡Art

Art is a diverse range of human activities that involve the creation of visual, auditory, or performance-based works that express the creator's imagination, conceptual ideas, or technical skill. In the video, art is discussed as an elusive concept with no definitive definition, often appreciated for its beauty or emotional impact, but also extending into thought-provoking and world-building aspects. The various quotes throughout the script reflect the multifaceted nature of art, from its role as a means of communication to its function as an expression of individual emotions and ideas.

💡Creativity

Creativity refers to the use of imagination or original ideas to create something new or produce something in a novel way. In the context of the video, creativity is a fundamental aspect of art, as it allows artists to express their unique visions and engage audiences with innovative works. The script suggests that creativity in art is not limited to traditional beauty or emotional appeal but can also challenge conventional thinking and provoke new perspectives.

💡Expression

Expression in art refers to the communication of feelings, emotions, or ideas through various artistic mediums. It is a way for artists to convey their inner world and for viewers to connect with and understand the artist's intentions. The video emphasizes that art can serve as a powerful form of expression, allowing both the creator and the audience to experience a range of emotions and insights.

💡Communication

Communication in the context of the video refers to the transmission of ideas, emotions, and experiences from the artist to the audience through the medium of art. It is a two-way process where art acts as a conduit for understanding and empathy, enabling viewers to connect with the artist's perspective and vice versa. The video posits that art's ability to communicate complex and nuanced messages is one of its most significant functions.

💡Nature

Nature, as discussed in the video, represents the natural world and its processes, which can serve as both an inspiration and a point of comparison for art. The script explores the idea that art can imitate, extend, or even complete what is found in nature, suggesting a dynamic relationship between the two. This concept challenges the notion that art is solely a human construct by acknowledging the influence and presence of the natural world in artistic creation.

💡Reality

Reality, in the context of the video, refers to the tangible world and experiences as perceived by individuals. Art is portrayed as a means to interpret, question, and reshape our understanding of reality. It can offer new perspectives, challenge existing beliefs, and create immersive experiences that alter our perception of the real world.

💡Experience

Experience, as used in the video, encompasses the personal encounters and interactions individuals have with art. It highlights the subjective nature of engaging with art, where each person's background, emotions, and thoughts contribute to a unique interpretation. The video emphasizes that art's value is deeply connected to the experiences it facilitates for both the creator and the audience.

💡Emotional Power

Emotional power in art refers to the ability of a piece to evoke strong emotional responses in the viewer or listener. This can range from feelings of joy, sadness, or nostalgia to more complex emotions that challenge one's worldview. The video suggests that while traditional definitions of art often emphasize beauty and emotional power, there are other aspects, such as thought-provoking installations, that can hold significant value in the artistic realm.

💡Innovation

Innovation in art refers to the introduction of new ideas, techniques, or styles that break away from established norms and conventions. The video celebrates the innovative spirit of art, which pushes boundaries and explores uncharted territories, often leading to the creation of works that are unique, thought-provoking, and sometimes controversial.

💡Appreciation

Appreciation of art involves recognizing and valuing the artistic efforts and the impact they have on individuals and society. It is a subjective process that can be influenced by personal tastes, cultural backgrounds, and historical contexts. The video explores the idea that appreciation is not limited to conventional beauty or emotional responses but can also extend to the intellectual and conceptual aspects of art.

💡Legacy

Legacy in the context of art refers to the lasting impact and influence that a piece of art or an artist has on future generations, culture, or the art world at large. The video touches on the idea that art can transcend time and the artist's lifespan, continuing to inspire, provoke thought, and shape the way people perceive the world.

Highlights

Abrose Bierce's definition of art as having no definition in his 1906 Devil’s Dictionary.

The critique of Oxford's definition of art, questioning the exclusion of non-human creative skill.

The appreciation of art not solely for its beauty or emotional power, using Thomas Hirschhorn's installation as an example.

The exploration of whether it is worthwhile to attempt to define art.

James Baldwin's quote on art revealing concealed questions, emphasizing the enigmatic nature of art.

Seneca's and Aristotle's contrasting views on art as imitation and completion of nature, respectively.

The idea that art extends beyond nature, as proposed by Aristotle.

Marc Chagall's quote on art's unending effort to compete with nature's beauty.

Paul Klee's and Bertold Brecht's perspectives on art's role in making the invisible visible and shaping reality.

The world-building aspect of art, creating new realities beyond our own.

Chinua Achebe's view of art as an effort to create a different order of reality.

Twyla Tharp's observation that art allows one to run away without leaving home.

John Dewey's explanation of art as the most effective mode of communication.

The concept of art as a means of exchange and experience, as discussed by various artists.

The idea that art can be both a recognition of oneself and modern, as expressed by Louise Bourgeois.

The famous aphorism 'Art is long, life is short' and its implications on the lasting impact of art.

Kerry James Marshall's description of art as an indispensable presence independent of the artist.

Gerhard Richter's view of art as the highest form of hope and its role in outlasting the artist.

The notion of art as sustenance for both artist and audience, as described by Sarah Sze.

Dorothea Tanning's quote on art as a raft to save sanity, highlighting its importance for mental well-being.

The various ways art serves as an expression of inner emotions and thoughts, from catharsis to eruptions.

The discussion on the flexibility and evolving nature of art as a concept, emphasizing its open-endedness.

The conclusion that art does not need a fixed definition, but rather should be an inclusive concept capable of accommodating diverse perspectives.

Transcripts

Thanks to LEGO® ART for supporting PBS.

We’ve long resisted offering any definition of art on this channel.

In my mind, Abrose Bierce was really onto something when he offered this entry in his

1906 Devil’s Dictionary: “art, n. This word has no definition.”

It’s not that there aren’t plenty of definitions out there, it’s just that I find them lacking

in some way, or incomplete, or so watered down that they’re meaningless.

Take Oxford’s:

“The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically

in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily

for their beauty or emotional power.”

Wait, human creative skill?

Do we really want to say other animals are incapable of making art?

And there are definitely artworks that I appreciate for neither their beauty nor their emotional power.

Like a Thomas Hirschhorn installation I can find thought-provoking, but not beautiful

or emotionally powerful, really.

To me, saying how you’re supposed to respond confines the experience.

But is it impossible to define art?

Or worthwhile to try?

For a while now, I’ve been gathering quotes about art from a range of writers and artists

throughout history.

I’m going to share some of these with you in the hope that we might gain some understanding

of this nebulous idea called art, or that you might find a definition that resonates

for you.

I tend to be a fan of the ones that are intentionally enigmatic, like James Baldwin’s:

“The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have been concealed by the answers.”

I like that it leaves the boundaries really wide.

Like for me the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers confine art too much, like Seneca who said:

“All art is but imitation of nature.”

Which he could maybe get away with saying about the art of his time, but just doesn’t

hold up for me now, when I see, let’s say, this wonderful work by Nam June Paik, Magnet

TV from 1965.

Aristotle set his terms a little more broadly, when he said:

“Art completes what nature cannot bring to a finish.

The artist gives us knowledge of nature’s unrealized ends.”

Which I like for its proposal that art does something nature alone does not.

That art works from nature and extends it outward.

Because, let’s face it, if there’s a competition between the power of art and nature...

I’m sorry, art, it’s just not really a contest.

I’m reminded of a quote often attributed to Marc Chagall:

“Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers - and never succeeding.”

But of course not all art is trying to compete with the beauty of flowers, nor simply reproduce

what’s already around us.

As Paul Klee stated succinctly:

“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.”

Put another way by Bertold Brecht:

“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”

It’s the world-building aspect of art that many of us greatly enjoy, be it Toyin Ojih

Odutola’s fictional portraits of aristocratic Nigerian families, or the immersive installations

of Helio Oiticica, or any other work whose new reality compels you, be it realistic or

completely abstract.

Artists have put forward objects and experiences that are unlike anything naturally occurring

in the world.

I like Chinua Achebe’s description of art as “man's constant effort to create for

himself a different order of reality from that which is given to him.

Because art after all, is not just a transporting device for those who experience it, but for

it’s maker as well.

Twyla Tharp wryly observed that:

“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.”

In the delightfully titled book Vague Thoughts on Art from 1911, John Galsworthy explains

it this way:

“... What is grievous, dompting, grim, about our lives is that we are shut up within ourselves,

with an itch to get outside ourselves.

And to be stolen away from ourselves by Art is a momentary relaxation from that itching,

a minute's profound, and as it were secret, enfranchisement.”

And that brings us to my favorite explanations of art, which focus on this idea of art as

a means of exchange.

John Dewey wrote extensively about this, calling art “the most effective mode of communications

that exists.”

He explained:

“The actual work of art is what the product does with and in experience.”

This, for me, is what art is all about.

An astoundingly skillful painting is great and all, but for me it becomes fully what

it is by being taken in by others.

And I don’t even just mean human others, I think even penguins count!

In the words of James Turrell:

“Art is a completed pass.

You don’t just throw it out into the world-- someone has to catch it.”

Through art, we have the remarkable opportunity to step into the shoes of someone else for

a while, to see the world as they see it, or want to see it.

And in that process, we discover things about our own lives and worlds.

As Thomas Merton once said:

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

Louise Bourgeois phrased it another way:

“Art is a way of recognizing oneself, which is why it will always be modern.”

For me, this means that not only can the artist recognize themselves in making the thing,

but that the appreciator can find some aspect of themselves in their experience of the thing.

Even an artwork that is centuries old can be made modern in the way it is recognized

and understood in the present.

And that brings us to one of the most famous aphorisms of all time: “Art is long, life

is short.”

Or in it’s Latin translation from the original Greek “Ars longa, vita brevis.”

Now in its original context it’s often thought to mean that life is short and technique or

craft can take a long time to perfect.

But it’s most often invoked to say that art can last longer than the artist.

And art is usually designed or at least hoped to have a life independent of the artist.

I like the way Kerry James Marshall described his own aims in making:

“What you're trying to create is a certain kind of an indispensable presence, where your

position in the narrative is not contingent on whether somebody likes you, or somebody

knows you, or somebody's a friend, or somebody's being generous to you.”

Like, there’s the hope that any person’s art “works” without them being there to

talk about it or promote it or explain it.

Gerhard Richter once described art as the highest form of hope.

And it is indeed an act of extreme optimism and even vulnerability to create things that

we admit we want to outlast us.

I like how William Faulkner once explained this aspiration:

“The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold

it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since

it is life.”

This is exactly how I feel when reading a book or looking at art or listening to music

from the past, thrown immediately and viscerally into a time and perspective different from

my own but no less real.

Through art, I recognize the humanity of countless other beings I’ll never meet.

Nietzsche said:

“Art is essentially the affirmation, the blessing, the deification of existence.”

Art tells me that other people really exist and existed in the past.

Which I know rationally, but only feel through art.

For me, also embodied in that statement is the way art can function for the artist as well.

I, in making something, affirm my own presence in the world.

There are many ways art performs this win/win function, serving both the artist and the

appreciator.

Sarah Sze described art as sustenance:

And it is sustenance for both artist and audience.

Dorothea Tanning said:

“Art has always been the raft on to which we climb to save our sanity.”

And that is also true for both artist and audience.

I think too about this 1968 remark by Anni Albers:

“I have this very what you call today ‘square’ idea that art is something that makes you

breathe with a different kind of happiness.”

Which brings us to another aspect of art, a big one: art as expression, or an outing

of what is inside you.

Dorothy Parker once described art as a form of catharsis.

Or the releasing of emotions that yields some form of relief.

Now this can be a gentle kind of thing, like when Henry Ward Beecher wrote:

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

Or it can be a more violent affair.

Georg Baselitz said:

“Art is visceral and vulgar ― it’s an eruption.”

Which feels about right when you look at Baselitz’s work, and also the work of many so-called

expressive painters.

I think we tend to associate “expression” with BIG FEELINGS, but it really just depends

on who is doing the expressing and what is being expressed.

“What is art?,” Edvard Munch asked, “Art grows out of grief and joy, but mainly grief.

It is born of people’s lives.”

Oh, Munch.

We can tell it was mainly grief.

But this is another of art’s remarkable capacities, to bend and adapt to the whims

and wills of its maker.

The artist Christo once said:

“The work of art is a scream of freedom.”

And I love that for Christo and his collaborator Jeanne Claude, that was expressed not through

a literal scream or hectic jabs of paint, but through such breathtaking installations

as this monumental valley curtain from 1972.

And a work of art isn’t always an “expression,” per se.

Sometimes it’s the articulation of an idea not necessarily born of emotions.

Ralph Waldo Emerson described art as:

“The conscious utterance of thought, by speech or action, to any end, is art.”

And that’s why, for Joseph Beuys:

“Even the act of peeling a potato can be a work of art if it is a conscious act.”

Conceptual artist Sol LeWitt explained to us how:

“Ideas alone can be works of art….All ideas need not be made physical.…A work

of art may be understood as a conductor from the artist’s mind to the viewer’s.

But it may never reach the viewer, or it may never leave the artist’s mind.”

Which reminds me of two other statements on art, one from Ed Ruscha:

“Art has to be something that makes you scratch your head.”

And another from Marshall McLuhan:

“Art is anything you can get away with.”

And art is indeed challenging at times.

It is now, and it has been throughout history.

But that seems to be baked into the concept.

Francis Ford Coppola explained:

“An essential element of any art is risk.

If you don’t take a risk then how are you going to make something really beautiful,

that hasn’t been seen before?”

And again, that’s risk for both the artist and those experiencing the art.

You have to take the risk along with the artist to find that new remarkable thing.

And art is powerful.

Even though it’s made up, it can and has shaped my consciousness and changed my mind

about things.

There are many quotes about the relationship between art and truth, like Picasso’s:

“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.”

And Theodor Adorno’s:

"Art is magic delivered from the lie of being truth."

But my favorite of these is Wangechi Mutu’s:

“Art allows you to imbue the truth with a sort of magic, so it can infiltrate the

psyches of more people, including those who don’t believe the same things as you.”

Empires and governments have understood the power of art and used it to varying ends.

But the power of art is also wielded by individuals, and collaborating groups of individuals, and

that’s part of what makes it such a compelling and fulfilling activity to engage in.

Both the making of it, and the experiencing of it--alone and together in groups.

It’s hard to pin down this thing we call art because it is always changing.

As a concept, art is slippery and flexible and ephemeral, used to describe an enormous

range of activities and objects and experiences.

In Elbert Hubbard’s words:

“Art is not a thing, it is a way.”

It’s the open-ended, elastic definitions of art that get the closest to me to describing

what it really is.

Duchamp once offered this one:

“What art is, in reality, is this missing link, not the links which exist.

It’s not what you see that is art; art is the gap.”

I love that gap!

For me, that’s where the magic happens.

It’s that space between the art and the appreciator, the artist and the art.

It’s the gap between my response to a work of art and your response to it.

It’s the air between all of us as we make meaning out of the world around us.

I don’t think we need a definition of art.

But if we did, I would think it would be all of these definitions, and all of the many

others not included here.

And then the challenge is to hold all of them all in our head at the same time, without

deciding on any one of them.

Because each of us decides what this thing is called art.

This way, art can continue to shift and expand and cater to the needs of those who feel compelled

to make it, whatever it is.

Deciding once and for all what art is would exclude those who come along and want to push

it in a new direction.

It would limit what’s possible now, and moving forward.

It should be an open and evolving concept, capable of holding your definition of art

along with everyone else’s.

But I do have to warn you, you have to be careful because:

“Art is a habit-forming drug.”

What is art for you?

Let’s talk about it in the comments.

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