Lesson 1: What Is Art? Why Is Art Made?
What Is Art, and Why Do We Create It?
When did you first become aware of art? Was it when your kindergarten teacher asked you to create an artwork? Or did you create something only to have it called art by someone else? Did you first discover art in a museum on a family outing? What did the word art mean to you then?
It has been said that all cultures create art. On page 6 of the textbook, it says “art is not needed to maintain life in the way that food, clothing, and shelter are. Yet, humans have persisted in creating every form of art since earliest times.” In this lesson we will explore some of the reasons humans feel compelled to create art and what some general categories for art are.
We will begin with the big question: What is art?
Assignment Questions
Read pages 2–9 in your textbook and answer the following questions in one Word document. You will use this same Word document for all of the questions in this lesson. When you are finished with your assignment, you will submit your document by clicking on the Lesson 1 Assignment link on the syllabus.
- Define visual arts according to your textbook. (5 pts.)
- Using one of the Web sites on the Course Links page, find an image that you think fits the definition of fine art. List the title of the work, artist, materials used, and Web site. (5 pts.)
- Find an example of an artwork that would fit the definition of applied art. Give the same specifications asked for above. (5 pts.)
- List the five main reasons why the textbook author thinks art is created. Keep in mind that he does not say these are absolutes, but that these ideas warrant consideration. (5 pts.)
Why do artists take the time to create? Perhaps they simply have something to say that cannot be expressed with words. Some artists have said they were compelled to create.
Such a compulsion has often interrupted normal daily activities and disrupted lives. The artist Vincent Van Gogh, for example, was known to spend what little money he had on paints and canvas instead of food and drink. His compulsion, in the end, left him gravely ill and without any money.
So, what’s all the fuss about? The textbook poses the question, “Do artists create as a means of gaining recognition and glory?” (p. 10). It goes on to say that in the Middle Ages art was created for the glory of God. Women in the past in general have been scorned for creating art of any kind since they were considered incapable of producing significant art—yet some still produced art. Keep these ideas in mind as you continue to read chapter 1.
Assignment Questions
In the same Word document that you used to answer the previous questions in this lesson, please complete the following:
- Finally, pick an artwork from the book that you like or dislike. Tell why you like or dislike the artwork. With your knowledge of art at this point describe what category of art this work falls within. (5 pts.)
