...That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the possibility of radical inclusion or exclusion, or to take arms against the impulse to define such a slippery topic...
I'm trying to make up my mind. I'd like to be able to say that I know exactly what art is now, but despite being better-informed, I feel that I'm not much more sure about the definition of art than I was when this class started. My opinions haven't actually changed very much.
Where do they differ? How have my thoughts about what makes art "art" evolved? For one thing, I'm less inclined to bring value judgments into a definition. Regardless of the level of mastery involved in creating a work, I can look at it and say whether or not it is art (whether or not I'm correct is another matter entirely). I do feel, even though I am still not entirely assured of my abilities to define art, that I have a better basis for judging a work. Now, when I look at a painting, I might think about childhood wishes being expressed, or intentionality, or even significant form. My thoughts on the definition of art lean more toward the mechanics of the craft, I suppose.
Do you choose to define art? How much of a choice is it?
Title/first paragraph paraphrased from Hamlet, Act III, Scene I.
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