by Andrea Theisson

Created on: June 10, 2009   Last Updated: June 11, 2009

Technically, anything created with pure expressive motives can be a work of art. Art is nonfunctional other than aesthetically. Craft can be art. It is above and beyond the form required for function. All artistic mediums, including music and the written word, can fit into this category of works of art. There is some food that is art, and likewise clothing... the extremely beautiful or sublime becomes art. The human imagination knows no bounds.

Cats that have been put into a pan of finger-paint or elephants who have their tails dipped into paint have been used as a tool for opportunists. They are not artists. This is not art, but it is intriguing and sort of neat as a fund-raiser. This is a gimmick, not Art. Few other sentient beings than humans are known to create art. A few species will play, even arrange shiny objects. We may not have a complete corner on art, but it is a living gesture, nonetheless.

Classic works of Art have a universal appeal, and are generally pleasant to the eye. There is skill and craft involved. A great work of art has quality, substance, and some aura of emotional energy. Innovation and a level of quality are required for art. There is something tangible, even if transient. The best art endures.

Works of art are created once, sometimes over long periods of time. They can be collaborative, as were some early cave paintings, theatre, many murals, and large sculptures. Duplicates, reproductions, work done in the style of, kits, or study assignments copies and exercises are not really art. The jury may still be out on computerized digital work. If it can be honestly original, not programmed by the computer, is it art? This work is not very emotionally engaging, as fascinating as it can be. The emotional art realm excludes computers. Found objects and assemblages can be truly art, if put together in a new and original way, with new connotations or impact. Think of those bicycle handlebars and seat that Picasso made into the Bull's Head! All right, maybe he could have used Photoshop. Nahhh.

Art comes from the creator's heart and soul. Spontaneity is often a sign of genius, as in Picasso's playfulness or Calder's mobiles and, likewise, there is genius in the labor of love that produced the Sistine Chapel, or Tiffany's incredible stained glass windows, or Faberge's eggs. Some claim their art is channeled from another dimension. Perhaps some artists missed their chance the first time around. Okay, as long as it hasn't been done before, and a human-vehicle has created it in this world. H.W. Janson's iconic History of Art considers time and circumstance in evaluating what is art. He even supposes that mankind could possibly outgrow the need for art. This is doubtful. The molecules of emotion have been discovered since this early textbook with its pedagogical definitions and classic art-historian interpretations. Yet, we can go back and rest easy with Janson's other premise that art is always a leap of imagination.

It's a new era, indeed, and art is a validated part of our central wiring. Whether you believe in the Muses or creativity as an innate force, the artist produces works of art. A work of art is a delight. We can tell by our reaction genuine, sincere, breath-taking awe-inspiring recognition upon first exposure. Sigh.

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