Margo Buccini: What Is Art?

What Is Art?

“We are rapidly approaching the point where everything is art and, therefore, nothing is art.” These words by Margo Buccini represent an idea that many art experts have about the way art is seen nowadays. The definition of art is becoming broader and broader, with things like graffiti, street performances, interior design and even some advertising starting to be seen as artworks. But are these things really art? Some say yes, others say no. While this might seem a never-ending debate, the heart of the matter is whether we can successfully define what art is. As this is such a subjective topic, none of us have the authority to define something that is a part of every culture and that is subject to change over time.

There are many

Many of these experts and critics believe that a painting, a sculpture, or a musical piece must reach specific quality standards to be works of art. What these people consider as actual art can usually be put under the category of “fine arts”. Moreover, the fact that more and more things are considered art does not diminish its impact on society. While not many people can appreciate a good painting nowadays, other forms of art are taking its place, such as drawing and music.

The main problem with the debate over the definition of art is that nobody can construct an accurate and exhaustive definition for it. The concept of art is very abstract and subjective, as it depends on beauty, interpretation and pure emotion. At the same time, these ideas also depend on both the point of view and the mindset of the artist and the audience. While many would admire an abstract painting and may even identify certain feelings that the artwork was intended to evoke, others might not see any meaning or beauty behind

That is, what is art now may not be seen as such many years from now and it certainly was not seen as such two centuries ago, when experts on the subject had a clear definition for art and could point something as an artwork or not according to their standards. Now, art could be anything that was done by an artist, as well as anything that has beauty, or that is made with the purpose of expressing emotion, or that has a certain composition, among many other criteria. In some cases, there could even be “accidental art”, for example a photograph taken at just the right moment, or anything that was not intended to be artistic but it is still perceived as such by many