To Be or Not to Be: Art is the Question

What constitutes art?

What is art? Is it defined by the time it is created in? Is it defined by who likes it? Or what skills the artist has? What about historic art versus modern art? Is modern art, art? Does it have to do with color, with composition, with perspective and lines? Must art reflect reality or can it distort it? Can I make a line drawing and call it art? What if I put paint on my cat’s paws and walk her across and blank sheet of paper—is that art? Is art, like beauty in the eye of the beholder?

If art is defined by strict guidelines, how is modern art, art? When is it decided as art? Is art, art, if you can sell it? What if you never sell it? What if you create art for your own amusement and enjoyment, does it still have value? Visual art such as painting has existed for many thousands of years. What about cave paintings? Do cave painting have art value? They certainly have historic value and would be worth a significant amount if ever bought or sold, no? Then does that mean to be art, a piece needs to have both artistic and historic value? Perhaps that only applies to historic art.

Picasso’s art and Michelangelo’s art are completely different from each other in almost every way and manner possible. Then what, do they both have, that will give them value in art (besides their historic value? Do you know?