Why Art NEEDS A Definition
Article of Interest: A Definition For Art
We love to define things. It’s human nature. One might say it’s one of our, ahem, defining characteristics (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Deliniation, definition, pigeon-holing–a place for everything and everything in its place. Since the beginning of time we’ve been wrapping everything we see or create in a definition.
Sometimes our definitions are straight-forward.
Airplane: A winged vehicle that planes on air.
That almost seems like a joke. Stupidly simple isnt’ it?
Sometimes our definitions are a little more complex:
Myocardial Infarction – Myocardial infarction (MI) is the rapid development of myocardial necrosis caused by a critical imbalance between oxygen supply and demand of the myocardium. This usually results from plaque rupture with thrombus formation in a coronary vessel, resulting in an acute reduction of blood supply to a portion of the myocardium. [Wikipedia]
In laymans terms “MI” is a heart attack but you get the idea. Humanity, since the beginning of the spoken word, has been labelling people, places, things, times and events–essentially everything in our world that we could possibly interact with. And you know something, Art is in there too!
Definitions placed on all those items external to ourselves, on all those things that make us human, physically or otherwise, on all those things that we’ve created and continue to create help us to define our own place within the world as it was, is and shall be as it expands. They help us to navigate this physical realm. They help us communicate with the society we live in. Without definitions we’d be forced to do our best caveman impressions, pointing and grunting without pride or embarassment.
This brings me to the title of this post, “Why Art needs a definition.”
Some of you might ask the legitimate question, “Why does Art need a definition?” That’s fair. Many of you reading this post are probably artists in your own right or have friends or family who engage in the arts in one form or another. Why put borders on something that has the opportunity to be borderless? Why limit something that seems limitless? Don’t we diminish the capacity for human expression by putting boundaries on what Art can be?
I would argue, no. In fact, I’d say that by defining Art we set it free and here’s why.
Without a definition, Art is nothing. Let me explain…
Did you ever see the movie Fight Club? There’s a scene where Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are talking about lifestyles and reality, and Brad says to Edward, “It’s only when we’re nothing that we’re free to be anything.” Brad makes a good point. Strip yourself of beliefs, expectations, possessions, desires, hope, knowledge, direction and all those things you cleave to as important and necessary and yeah, you’d be free and flexible just like air to go anywhere, be anything, do everything. Sounds like heaven doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, the saying works the same in reverse. When something is free to be anything it is also nothing at all. It has no characteristics, no preconceived notions, no hang-ups. It has no strengths and no weaknesses. There is no containing edge and there is no substance inside it. When Art is free to be anything it lingers in the ether, formless, hopeless and worst of all pointless and I refuse to believe that Art is pointless.
Pointless things have a tendency to be forgotten.
Art is the oldest recorded form of human communication and will continue on because the creation of Art serves a higher purpose in our society above nothing at all. The work that I create will never be forgotten (at least by me) and the legacy I leave by engaging in the crafting of Art will be one that endures from generation to generation. This is why Art needs a definition.
If we’re to continue the cavalcade of Art, if we’re to create it, talk about it, write about it and communicate with it, we must agree on at least the necessity of a definition for it. There is always room for flexibility in the exact definition of anything. An absolute definition leaves no room for growth and Art grows on a daily basis, but we must define it or else it has no meaning, no point, no use.
I apologize if this post makes your skin crawl a little bit but just as Art grows, so too must we. If it goes against conventions you hold to define Art then it’s time to change those conventions. If defining Art negates what you’ve been creating then maybe you’re not creating Art but maybe by changing the way you approach your own practice, you can start!
For now, that is all. Goodnight.
