TOK - what is art?

by darkusdragon (student)

International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge

Your last name

Ayush Gupta

IB TOK

October 30, 2012

Word Count: 526

What is art?

Art is an area of knowledge and also a means of communicating or expressing emotions. Art can be in any form, visual forms and intangible forms. Picasso has said,” Art is a lie that brings us nearer to the truth”. According to his perspective art is a lie because it is expressing one’s imagination and creativity. For example, if one pains a scenery of mountain out of his own imagination, then it will be a lie because such a mountain doesn’t exit’s but it brings the artist as well as the observers nearer to the truth that is the emotion underlying in the painting. Hence Art can be an area of knowledge because it shows the observers the knowledge of emotions via sense perception as a way of knowing.

An artist adds to his painting what he feels, for example he may use dark colours if he is feeling gloomy and sad at the time. A spectator sees in the painting what he feels. For example, a painting of a dead insect will make someone sad while someone angry. It depends a lot on one’s perception and perspective.

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Something is art if it fulfills the 3 criteria’s- intentions of the artist, the quality of work and response of spectators. However according to me if something just expresses emotions, then it is an art. For example, a person singing a song to himself because he is sad may not intend to create an artistic piece however he may still convey his emotion. The person may be a bad singer and the audience may not understand his situation, still his song can be a piece of art because he is expressing his sad melancholy emotions through it. Hence according to me, anything is art if it conveys emotions or has emotions added to it.

How does the context of a piece of art limit or enhance one’s understanding of something as art?

Everyone has a difference perspective and different taste. Context of art may include what the art piece is about or the subject of art or what is implied from it or the kind of emotion which it reflects. Although anything which expresses emotion is termed as art but almost majority population judge something to be art depending on the type of emotion which it reflects. For example, there is a painting of a book and a painting of a tree. A person who hates studies may not consider the painting of book as an art because it may evoke hatred in his mind. This has happened because of the subject of the painting; Furthermore, if he likes nature, then he is likely to consider the painting of tree as a very good art. This has also happened because of the subject of art that is a tree which evokes sense of peace in his mind. Therefore, here the context of art has limited as well as enhanced one’s understanding of something as an art. It can be concluded that it depends on the observer entirely because it is what he sees in it.