A piece of art can have a powerful effect on people, and many individuals will have a certain work or pieces of art that are very important to them. This is because it can affect them on a personal level, helping them through difficult times and providing an outlet for emotions. However, the term “art” can be somewhat subjective and it is up to the individual to decide what it means for them.
A good place to start is looking at the actual artwork, taking into account its appearance and how it is presented. The artist will have made some very deliberate decisions with regards to the style and approach used, which will feed directly into the overall feel and meaning of the piece.
In addition, consider the broader context of the artwork, such as when it was created and what was happening at that time. This information is often given in those dull little labels that tell you the artist’s name, the title of the work and the year it was created. Sometimes other valuable morsels of information are included, such as the fact that an artist was well-known for being a womaniser or a drunk, and this can also add to your understanding of the work.
Depending on your own interests and the types of art you enjoy, there may be other things to think about when considering whether or not something is art. For example, it could be art if it stimulates your imagination, whether in terms of its beauty or the symbolism buried within it. It could also be art if it is designed to please you or entertain you.
Art has always been important to people for a variety of different reasons. It is a means of cultivating distinct social, cultural and individual identities and transmitting values, impressions, judgments, ideas, visions and spiritual meanings across generations and through time and space. It is also a way of conveying knowledge and information, such as scientific illustration and maps. And it can serve a political purpose, such as in the case of the avant-garde arts of the early 20th century, which were intended to bring about change in society.
There are some who insist that there is a common nature shared by all the arts that makes them a form of expression of the human imagination. This is a view that is based on the fact that there are a number of characteristics that all the arts share, such as a basic instinct for balance and harmony (beauty) and an experience of the mysterious.
On the other hand, there are those who believe that art should be judged in the same way as other kinds of creative work – on its merits. The problem with this is that it can be very difficult to measure the merits of a piece of art, because of the huge range of different styles and approaches used in making them.