Art Definitions

There are several definitions of art. These definitions depend on the interpretation of each individual. It also depends on the nature of the art and the era of the interpretation. I have noted several definitions as follows:

1. "The "use" of art from the artist's standpoint is as a means of expression" (Wikipedia, 2005).

2. "From the artist's perspective it allows one to symbolize complex ideas and emotions in an arbitrary language subject only to the interpretation of the self and peers" (Wikipedia, 2005).

3. "It can serve to soothe the soul and promote popular morale" (Wikipedia, 2005).

4. "Process of healing, through creative acts" (Wikipedia, 2005).

5. "It is a way of passing ideas and concepts on to later generations in a (somewhat) universal language" (Wikipedia, 2005).

6. "Some documentary photographs depicting un-posed "real life" are considered art" (Wikipedia, 2005).

7. "Art can connote a sense of trained ability or mastery of a medium" (Wikipedia, 2005).

8. "It can simply refer to the developed and efficient use of a language so as to convey meaning, with immediacy and or depth" (Wikipedia, 2005).

9. "It can arouse aesthetic or moral feelings, and can be understood as a way of communicating these feelings" (Wikipedia, 2005).

10. "From one perspective, art is a generic term for any product of the creative impulse, out of which sprang all other human pursuits" (Wikipedia, 2005).

11. "Deals with finding principles for how to express certain ideas through various kinds of symbolism" (Wikipedia, 2005).

12. "It can be defined as a character of the item itself or as a function of an object's context" (Wikipedia, 2005).

13. "The product of creative human activity in which materials are shaped or selected to convey an idea, emotion, or visually interesting form" (Encarta, 2005).

When reading these definitions, one can make an interpretation about the different styles of art. These styles include dance, visual art, music, film, television, radio, architecture, and theater. I have chosen specific examples in each area to further explain the definitions.

For dance, I have chosen a phenomenal Irish dance entitled "Lord of the Dance" (Lord of the dance, 1996). Michael Flatley created this masterpiece and it consists of a storyline performed entirely through Irish dancing. The definition that best describes Flatley's work is "Art can connote a sense of trained ability or mastery of a medium" (Wikipedia, 2005). The dancers involved in this production as well as Flatley are all masters of the Irish dance and very accomplished performers.

Secondly, "The Night Watch" is a brilliant piece of visual art by Rembrandt (Rembrandt, 1642). This stunning piece denotes military personnel waiting to be called in order to fall in line. The balance of bright yellow colors with black, balances out the feeling for each person in the painting. It stimulates your mind by trying to decipher the soldier's thoughts. For this reason, the definition "It can serve to soothe the soul and promote popular morale" best describes this visual art piece (Wikipedia, 2005). It makes you feel proud of the military and how they protect us as we sleep.

In regards to music, there is a heartbreaking song titled "I'm already there" by Lonestar (Lonestar, 2001). This song describes the heartache a husband and father feels while he is away on business. He is saddened by the fact that he cannot see his wife and his children and kiss them each night before bed. "Process of healing through creative acts" fits this song perfectly (Wikipedia, 2005). The man is telling his wife and his children that even though he is not there, he is in everything that they see and do.

In the film industry, a very realistic movie directed by Ronald Emmerich, titled "The Day After Tomorrow" gives the viewer chill bumps (Emmerich, 2004). It makes you realize that anything can happen at anytime. Mother Nature takes her wrath to an all new, explosive level with ice storms, tornados, and countless natural disasters simultaneously. This is something that most of us never think about, but it can surely happen. The earth is freezing, state by state, country by country, until it is all frozen solid. A very scary reality check of what can happen if we do not take care of our planet. This art, I feel, is best defined as "a