What is Art?

Let’s Play a Game. . .

• Examine the following
series of images
• Decide if they are Art
or not
• Be prepared to defend
your answer with full
explanations (not just
“good” or “bad”)
Is this Art? Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
 Is this
Art?
Why or
why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
Is this Art? Why or why not?
 Is this Art?
Why or why not?
Is this Art?
Why or
why not?
 Popular Definitions of “Art”
• “Art is not a thing; it is a way.” –Hubbard (writer)
• “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the
same time.” –Merton (writer)
• "Art is either plagiarism or revolution.“ –Gaugin (painter)
• "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." –
Tharp (choreographer)
• "Art is a kind of illness.“ –Puccini (composer)
• "Art is meant to disturb. Science reassures." –Braque (painter)
• "Art is like soup. There will be some vegetables you don't like
but as long as you get some soup down you it doesn't
matter." -Wyllie (sculptor)
• "Art is childish and childlike." -Hirst (visual artist)
• "Art is a bang/blast." -Okamoto (abstract artist)
• "Art is art. Everything else is everything else." -Reinhardt
(visual artist)
 Who is allowed to define Art?
• Artists
• People who buy art
• Teachers
• Me
• You
• Anyone

Fountain’ by Marcel Duchamp

Owned by the Tate Museum in London
 Who determines the “worth” of an
artwork?
• The artist who made it
• The artists who criticize it
• The person who buys it
• The viewer who sees it

The Card Players Paul Cezanne

Most expensive painting ever sold
Sold for more than $250 million in 2011

• Should the worth of an artwork only based on money?

Did You Win the Game?
• All of the images are Art
What is your definition of Art?