What is Art

I am always looking for a good definition of “art.”  Recently I was reminded of this one and would like to share it with you.

“The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have been hidden by the answers.”
James Baldwin

Do you have any favorite quotes on what is art?

Andrew

About Andrew Reynolds

Born in California Did the school thing studying electronics, computers, release engineering and literary criticism. I worked in the high tech world doing software release engineering and am now retired. Then I got prostate cancer. Now I am a blogger and work in my wood shop doing scroll saw work and marquetry.
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17 Responses to What is Art

  1. Baydreamer says:

    I like that quote, Andrew, and here’s one that stood out for me:
    “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
    ~ Pablo Picasso

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Great quote by Baldwin. I hadn’t heard that one before. This isn’t really a definition, but I like it:
    “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” ~ Neil Gaiman

    Liked by 1 person

  3. pommepal says:

    How about… “art is not what you see, but what you make others see’

    Liked by 2 people

  4. After reading all the comments, I must be an artist! A wise man once told me art has no rules. I am a rule breaker…..so I must not be an artist?!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. CJ Hartwell says:

    I like that quote. My favorite is along the same lines, I think it was Bacon: “The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.”

    Liked by 1 person

  6. PiedType says:

    “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Carrie Rubin says:

    “Every artist was first an amateur”—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

    Gives us all hope!

    Liked by 2 people

  8. That is a tantalizing definition. One that probably fits writing as well as art: Art is cheaper than therapy (I have no idea who said that first).

    Liked by 1 person

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