What is Art?

I have been helping with organising Sketchmeet the past few months. The last Sketchmeet was a huge success. Sydney Life Drawing Facebook Page invited us to their PG rated life drawing meet up and we both promoted it with other art groups. It was a huge turn out with over 20 artist, many of them new faces. Among them, there was a guy who looked a little lost, so I head over to talk to him to make him feel welcomed and comfortable.

He's a student studying in business and IT in university, and learning photography as a hobby. Apparently he heard that there will be a model from another art group, and was hoping to have a go at photographing a model. I had a chat with him about how life drawing models are different from photography models. He then told me someone has said to him that photography is not art. That, of course, triggered my ranting (as if I don't rant enough already) about how stupid that idea is and the effort required to make good photographs. 

The student told me he is unsure about nudity being art. I explained to him that technically, good understanding of human anatomy is an important foundation of good life drawings. I also told him that it is also art because when you look past society's idea of 'nudity = perversion', there is something bold and beautiful about appreciating a human body as is. At that point, I listened to myself and thought I am not even sure what I said was right or made any damn bit of sense, and I was probably making myself look totally stupid in front of many amazing artists.

The subject then turned into questioning the definition of art. The student said (paraphrasing), "I suppose anything can be art". The life model, while staying absolutely still in the most awkward position as only a professional life model with 5 years under her invisible belt can, commented "A broken fan is NOT art". Oh my flying spaghetti monster, I know what she meant. Last year at Sculpture by the Sea, I saw a wooden "X" near a cliff, with the title "X". That's it. Is that art? I certainly don't think so. That begs the question, why do I not consider that art? Is it because I think the 'artist' was lazy? But good art doesn't equate to the effort being put in, does it? What is art? 

Since I was small, I wondered that myself. I set a goal, that if someone is willing to pay for my drawings then I can start calling myself an "artist", not a "drawer", because it means it is good enough that someone wants it. Someone eventually did. I sold a print of a scribble I drew during the red dust storm in Sydney years ago, and I felt comfortable calling myself an artist. Even though it was a milestone, I am now thinking that is the wrong idea.

Back to present day, I told the student that I think it should be something that make you feel something, but I suppose that lazy "X" made me feel annoyed so maybe it is art. I remember an artist that hired an entire exhibition space but put nothing in it, so everyone who visit were looking for something, and to cause that wondering is his 'art'. In the back of my mind I am still not sure if it was. If art is to trigger a feeling, is arousal caused by watching a stripper dance considered art? Sure she's dancing, which is a performance art, but does that mean nudity in art works in the exact same way? Maybe art is defined by the experience in people.

I started to have another idea of the definition of art. Maybe it is something that makes people experience something so special that it lasts in their mind and makes people think beyond what it appears to be. Sculpture, sketches, painting, movie, theater and photography have always done it. Games being an art is a long debate and it undoubtedly fits that category. Even food and beverages can do the same thing. That's why when people explain the complexity of something that appears simple, they sometimes use the phrase "There is an art to...". Anything that makes you wonder "how on earth did they do it?" or "what is the story behind this?" or gets you excited or triggers deep emotion is my current definition of art (which will certainly change over time).

This is a very strange blog post I think, because art is so subjective. It is definitely not something that can be nailed down with logic. In fact, that contradicts the very idea of creativity in art. Even though I have found my own theory about it, I am sure I will still find examples that contradict it. I am sure I have gave things a quick glance without experiencing the above mentioned feelings, that I would still consider art.

So what is art? I think we will each find our own answer.

Feel free to comment and let me know what your definition of art is.