AESTHETIC QUESTIONS What is Art? Can an object be considered as art today if it was not considered to be art at the time it was created? What conditions must be met for something that has a function to be considered a work of art? Must art be beautiful? Must art communicate something or be about something? Should art tell a story? Must art be made by hand? What about objects that are mass produced? Must a work of art be made by an artist? An artist picks up a piece of driftwood from the beach and displays it in a gallery - is it art? Under what conditions is photography art and when is photography not art? Can an object be art if the person making it did not intend for it to be art? Must a work of art express feelings or emotions in order to be considered art? Is art an imitation or an interpretation of nature? Does art have to look "real"? Can furniture be art? Clothing? Serving utensils? Greeting cards? Musical instruments? Tapestries? Quilts? Under what conditions are these objects art or not art? What about the materials utilized in making a work of art? Can found objects be sculpture? Questions About the Value of Art Can only art experts say what the true meaning a work of art is? Who can say what is good or bad art? Must a work of art have good craftsmanship to be considered a good work of art? Must the viewer understand the artist's intention? How is it decided if something is art or not? In order to be "good" art, must the work imitate reality? Can a work of art be both beautiful and ugly? Must art be enjoyed? Should all works of art be judged by the same criteria? Can a work of art be good if it did not take a long time to make? Who decides the value of art? Must good art be pleasing? Are works of art made a long time ago more valuable? Is the monetary value of a work of art important in determining the aesthetic value of the work? Does the materials utilized in making the work affect the value of the work? Is a bronze sculpture of more value than a sculpture made with neon lights of found objects? What criteria affect the value? Size, craftsmanship, age, media, the fame achieved by the artist, training of the artist, artistic intentions, etc? Should form always follow function? The Nature of Art and the Relationship to Society Is it appropriate to alter a work of art if it is offensive? Should offensive art be banned from public exhibition? What is the affect of age or time to a work of art? What about WHERE the work is - in a museum or stored in an attic? Can a work of art have different meaning for different peoples? Do different people have different interpretations about the same work of art? Must a work evoke an emotional response is the viewer? What contemporary works of art will become masterpieces? What criteria should be met? Must a work have a social message? Is there only one true meaning of a work of art? Did cavemen think of their paintings as art? Is the meaning of a work that which the artist meant it to be or what it means to the viewer? Are artifacts from past cultures (which weren't meant to be art at the time they were made) art now for a different culture? Is it acceptable to use a work of art and change it for use in advertisements? How far can an advertising artist go in appropriating images from other artists? Imagine that a museum has just acquired a Hopi Kachina doll. The Hopi people want it back because it is sacred to them. Is the doll more important as a piece of art, or as a religious symbol for the Hopi? Compiled by Connie Newton