What is art?

The following is an email I wrote in response to a question, "What is art?" 

What is art?

I actually spent a lot of time pondering this question while waiting for an opportunity to write back. Part of the problem is that "art" is an unusual English word: it has a lot of definitions, which are relatively close together in meaning.It's sort of like the word "pride," which is used as a synonym for self-esteem, but was traditionally used in theology to refer to the worst of the seven mortal sins. So when you ask the question, "What is art?" you might well specify "as opposed to..."

I think you mean, "... as opposed to an artifact that lacks artistic content." Every day millions of people shoot photos of items to sell on Craig's List. And in all seriousness, you can't really call it art (unless the person is a compulsive artist).Decoration may require some taste, but it's not usually art. And in any event, if I'm a bad decorator, would one describe my reading chair, set about with ancient copies of The New Yorker or Kino and occulted BLT andwiches* as "art"?

William Bouguereau Click for larger view

Click for larger view

In my opinion, people can intuitively recognize the difference between something lacking any artistic content and something possessing it, even if they cannot explain why.Distinguishing between good art and bad art, in my view, is much harder.I'll explain why in a moment.

An artifact becomes art by virtue of two possible attributes:

1. the artist responds to an expectation, or sets up an expectation, that is reversed (or surprised) by the artifact.
2. the artist uses any of a number of aesthetics to consciously make the item beautiful.

These seem like aggressively broad-brush generalizations, and many exceptions come to mind. Here are some paintings by William Bouguereau. You might feel that his work makes him a typical product of the 19th century Weltanschauung; in art history textbooks I have known, he is disparaged as being sentimental and vapid, if he's mentioned at all (since the 1970's he's made an impressive comeback). Part of this has to do with a prolonged co-option of the normal historic functions of art by commerce: people may sense that an advertising poster is in fact art, but they recognize that it's bad (dishonest) art.

But for people who were living in the 19th century, Bouguereau's art was amazing; it was so popular that it would become a cliché, but the sheer vividness and temerity with which he represented biblical/classical topics was stunning. The reversal came from the sight of an idea that was familiar to them only from words of the parish priest, or perhaps books, woodcuts, what-have-you. Later, new ideologies would promote suspicion of beauty per se, as exploitative or a mark of false consciousness. I don't want to disparage these ideologies entirely, because they were in response to a very real vapidity of 19th century attitudes.
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