What is Art?: Tolstoy Weighs In
Traditional and modern perspectives collide
Have you ever looked at a painting or a sculpture and thought, “Is that supposed to be art?”
To answer the question, “What is Art?” you could easily find numerous responses online, all of them based on someone’s personal preference.
One dictionary describes art as “the expression of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form, such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”
Though this interpretation could be considered a conservative explanation, it clarifies boundaries from which to start.
Let’s take it a step further and compare two ideologies used to view art.
The first is the traditional view. This philosophy usually entails anything made by the work of one’s hands, whether painting, sculpting, or drawing. It could range from labor-intensive chiseling to simple carving, or mural application to notebook doodling.
Included in this is the idea of intent. There is a desire for the product to be beautiful to the beholder, not just to the artist. There is a passion for the piece to have a lasting effect, not merely passing elation.
