3 EXTENDED DEFINITION OF ART Running head: EXTENDED DEFINITION OF ART 1

3

EXTENDED DEFINITION OF ART

Running head: EXTENDED DEFINITION OF ART

1

Extended Definition of Art
First name and Last Name
English Composition 1

May 6, 2022

Humans have perfected the ability to draw, paint, sing, act, build and write for thousands of years. Unlike any other being, humans have been able to create entities that gained a nearly universally appealing nature, mainly through skill, expression, and impeccable imagination. Art from different circumstances, even those rife with technical inadequacy and knowledge gaps, has fascinated populations worldwide. Yet, the insurmountable dynamism and difference between human beings make it impossible to define art universally. The subjective definitions of beauty, appealingness, and skill amongst art forms among humans make it difficult to philosophically underpin an objective definition of art. Cultures also have different esteem levels within which they hold art, implying dynamic definitions of art, ranging from simplistic to romantic. Art is a connector between man’s creations and the human spirit, an inducer of human emotion, and a way of using the human conscience to define and describe the world.

Art is a connector between man’s creations and the human spirit. Different art forms are merely fruits of a person’s external environment and inner thought. Individuals create a unique interpretation of what they see, hear, and believe through art, making it an exclusive identifier of their personhood and environment. Similarly, an individual looking at or listening to art interacts with the creation uniquely and exclusively, usually defined by their environment and human experience. Therefore, they interpret the dimensions of human creations in a way that resonates fully with their spirit, creating a connection. For instance, when looking at Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Mona Lisa, an individual from Africa interprets the painting from a perspective of a unique human surrounded by an African environment, thus endearing the artwork to their soul. Similarly, the ancient cave paintings can resonate with any individual’s spirit and invoke various thought processes.  However, in human creations that are considered non-art such as hoes and mathematical diagrams, it is impossible for an individual to gain a spiritual connection (Ozga & Cudo, 2022). Thus, art is an entity with dimensions and characteristics that enable the human spirit to find solace and meaning in it.

Art is a human creation that induces human emotions through sight or hearing. Human evolutionary patterns are accompanied by the development of affective responses to particular dimensions, traits, and patterns (Zaidel, 2017). Particular symmetrical arrangements, shades, and dimensions are hardwired to elicit particular emotions and dimensions. For instance, dark and gray shades may evoke different emotions such as elegance, luxury, evil, mysteriousness, neutrality, and even power, depending on the environmental and experiential factors that make a viewer. Depending on these factors, an individual is able to look at or listen to a piece of art and gain elicit different emotions. For instance, listening to songs with dimensions such as slow tempo, soft vocals, and piano accompaniments may evoke feelings of sadness and loss for some, while it may represent a sense of calm for others. The element of subjectivity is central to all art definitions since art is only relevant to humans due to the dynamic human condition.

Art results from individuals using their humanity to grasp and describe the world. Art requires one to conjoin the human condition with the external world and create entities, unlike any other action. For instance, in architecture, individuals use their humanity and the external world to imagine different designs and put them into being (Austin, 2016). Unlike non-art creations such as mathematics, this requires objectivity and adherence to concrete laws and principles. Music, literature, fine art, and other art forms take a similar dimension, where an individual uses their human understanding and imagination solely to understand and describe the world.

Therefore, art directly results from the human form since it connects the human spirit with human creations, elicits human emotions, and enables humans to grasp and define the world. The inability to define art objectively comes from the subjectivity of the human spirit and understanding. However, art unites humans in how it enables people to express their imagination and skill and interpret it differently. Art makes humans understand the inherent subjectivity of all human perceptions, such as beauty, emotions, and experience, helping them to appreciate themselves and pursue their true selves.

Think About Your Writing

Question 1

I chose to define art to communicate my concerns about the inaccuracy of defining art objectively, which when done, invalidates millions of art forms and styles. Although I have seen art forms that did not please me in the past, the recognition that appealingness is largely informed by my experiences, environment, and identity made me not invalidate them. Thus, the different definitions aimed at showing the subjectivity of art and the need to embrace all forms of art.

Question 2

The conclusion took me the most time to complete as it required creating an interconnection between all paragraphs and ideas and marrying the different definitions. Therefore, comments from the teacher about the excellence of the conclusion will help me improve on my conclusions in the future.

Question 3

I am confident to have developed a strong writing structure, a definite and clear flow of ideas, and appropriate word choice. However, I believe that I could improve in diversifying sentence forms to make my work more appealing and memorable.

References

Austin, M. R. (2016). Explorations in art, theology, and imagination. Routledge. Retrieved on May 6, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315539102

Ozga, W. K., & Cudo, A. (2022). Exploring Factors that Differentiate Art and Non‐Art High School Students. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 56(1), 6-15. Retrieved on May 6, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.508

Zaidel, D. W. (2017). Art in early human evolution: Socially driven art forms versus material art. Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, 1(1), 149-158. Retrieved on May 6, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.26613/esic.1.1.22

Touchstone 2.2 Rubric and Feedback

Rubric Category

Your Grade

Image Analysis / Extended Definition – 20%

Advanced (100%) – Prompt A: Consistently goes beyond description to analyze the design choices made in the advertisement, including layout, color schemes, text, and/or other design components; effectively draws conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement. Prompt B: Defines a meaningful and nuanced word or concept in a coherent and compelling way, consistently using critical thinking and thoughtful discussion to explore the definition; consistently goes beyond traditional definitions to define or redefine the word in a new and unique way.

Working Thesis – 20%

Advanced (100%) – Has a clear, focused, and detailed working thesis that is expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay.

Organization – 20%

Advanced (100%) – Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a strong thesis; an adequate number of body paragraphs (3-6), each with an effective topic sentence; and a conclusion with an effective concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is logical and flows well.

Style and Tone – 10%

Advanced (100%) – Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices and uses a wide variety of sentence structures; establishes a consistently unbiased and impersonal tone that is appropriate for an informative essay.

Focus – 10%

Advanced (100%) – Details are relevant and support the purpose of the essay; the writer consistently makes effective connections between the supporting details and the working thesis.

Conventions – 10%

Advanced (100%) – There may be a few negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.

Think About Your Writing – 10%

Advanced (100%) – Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses; answers all reflection questions effectively, following or exceeding response length guidelines.

SCORE: 10/10

Sharon,

Excellent work on this touchstone assignment.

Sonja