In short, art is something that captures a human experience or idea in physical form. It can be a painting, sculpture, photograph, or even the way an outfit fits together. It can inspire a person to create their own masterpiece or be the inspiration behind another artist’s. Art can be used for many purposes including for propaganda, to influence public conceptions and mood, or to sell products. It can also serve as a means to communicate ideas and emotions that are difficult or impossible to express verbally. Art is something that makes us stop and look, and that’s why it’s important.
One of the first things we do in Art + History is to have students close-look at artworks and share observations. This practice of noticing and questioning helps students engage with the artworks and prompts them to think about the artists and time period more broadly. This can be deepened by having students look at or read additional primary sources (photographs, newspaper articles, songs, short fiction, speeches, etc.) from that same time period. This will help students see that people in the past experienced events and situations in different ways.
While a common approach to art history is to focus on Western art, it’s important for students to consider how other cultures created and valued art, too. It’s often helpful to use a “relay race” model with the artworks that are analyzed in class: students first analyze and question one artwork, then move on to the next work to examine closely. This allows students to see how the artistic styles of a particular culture develop over time and to see that, even though cultural traditions may vary, there are a number of elements that all art shares.
The concept of art is always changing and evolving. This is due to the fact that art can be seen in a variety of contexts and because it has so many varying definitions. Throughout history, there have been a number of art movements that have challenged the notion of what is or isn’t art.
Many of these movements have been inspired by the idea that traditional definitions of art are flawed. They argue that concepts like expressiveness and form, which are central to most definitions of art, are prime examples of language gone on a conceptual holiday, and that they should not be held as the only defining characteristics of art.
The debate over how to define art also reflects the complexities that surround the world of the arts. Art has a rich history that can be explored in so many different ways and is a powerful tool for understanding the human experience. In the end, it’s a beautiful thing that should be celebrated and appreciated. And so is the sun on those cobblestones we’re walking across, or that incredibly cute pastry you just had to buy. Art is the little things in life that make our lives more colorful and more meaningful.