Art
Art originally was the processes of man, and as such was synonymous with science.
Nowadays it is in essence the foremost expression of human creativity.
As difficult to define as it is to evaluate, given that each individual artist chooses the
rules and parameters that guide her work, it can still be said that art is the
process and the product of choosing a medium, a set of
rules for the use of that medium, and a set of values that determine what
deserves to be expressed through that medium, in order to convey either a
belief, an idea, a sensation, or a feeling in the most effective way possible
for that medium.
Opinions differ as to what can and cannot be
defined as art; for example, can somebody make art if the creation was not
intended to be art? Is art always a form of individual expression? Will a work
of art only be art once it is finished? For a more in-depth discussion of these
questions, see the article on the definition
of art and read some quotations
about art.
Types of art
There are many types of art; the history
of art reaches back into prehistoric times. Today, art most often
refers to the visual arts, specifically painting and sculpture,
and photography.
Art also commonly refers to the fine arts,
which include music,
literature,
poetry, dance, and the theater. An
outgrowth of the theater is film and animation. Since the 1970s, media art
has become increasingly important, with disciplines like video art,
electronic
art and internet art.
When something is done especially well, it can be
considered art: a
feat of engineering
such as the Golden Gate Bridge can be seen as a work of art.
Architecture
is certainly a type of art: consider the Eiffel
Tower or the Notre Dame cathedral.
Architecture is the synthesis of art and science. Even computer programming can be art; some people
create poems in their favorite programming language and a whole new
discipline of software art is emerging.
Art doesn't have to be solely for aesthetic
purposes; arts and crafts deals with making useful things
into art. Commercial art ("visual communication")
uses artistic methods to convey information such as advertising.
Sometimes people make art out of random objects that weren't intended to be
art; such art is called found art.
