What is art?

Lately I’ve been wondering.

What is art?

I don’t mean, what qualifies as art. No, that’s a little too subjective. Instead I’m asking, what is art objectively?

So, I started thinking of different kinds of art throughout different periods of human history. I thought of cave paintings. Egyptian hieroglyphics. The drawings in the catacombs. The paintings of the renaissance. Sculptures. Poetry. The plays of Shakespeare. Modern movies…I couldn’t stop coming up with examples. But I started to notice a trend. Something, I thought, which could help me give an objective explanation of what I believe art is.

The trend I saw was storytelling. I saw communication.

Sometimes the story being told is quite obvious and quite intentional. As is the case when one of our ancient ancestors depicts a great hunt on the inside of a cave wall.

Sometimes the message being communicated is still very intentional, but more esoteric in meaning. I would suggest that maybe a book such as The Man Who Was Thursday would fall into this category.

Sometimes the message isn’t even clear to the artist. Often art is one’s own attempt at communicating a story or emotion that exists just outside of his or her conscious grasp. I know for me, for example, when I’m writing a poem, I’m trying to say something, or communicate something I can’t quite get my head around. I know what I’m trying to say. I feel what I’m trying to say. But the only way I can communicate what’s inside is through poetry.

Sometimes art is created for others.

Sometimes art is realized as a way for the artist to communicate with his or her self.

So, my current definition for art is: Art is the result of an attempt at communication.

Does this explanation hold up for all forms of art?

I think so.

Even in the case of cooking, which I consider an art, there is a message being conveyed. The message may be the chef’s attempt at communicating the rustic beauty of a small village outside of Lucca, Italy. Or it may be the home cooks attempt at conveying a childhood memory. Or maybe it’s just a mother expressing her love for her children.

I think this explanation also helps me critique, judge, and/or admire art. On the basis that art is communication, I can judge a piece of art on the quality of the message being communicated as well as the ability of the artist to communicate the message. Some people judge an artists technique. To me, as admirable as technique is, it’s only important in so far as it furthers the communication.

As of this moment, I’m pretty happy with this definition. But I would love to hear your thoughts.