Pet peeve: Those 3-D cut outs in the frames that are an arts and crafts excuse for art.

I recently had to write a short essay on the topic.

Please share the short essay.

What do you consider to be art?

Art is basically anything that someone created that doesn't have any purpose except to be looked at.

Everything else is design.

And just because something is art, it doesn't mean that it's good art. A portrait of dogs playing poker is art. Cr@p art.

Or any other sense.

Right. Since the OP referenced cut-outs I thought we were talking about visual art in particular, but I guess my definition works for all art forms. Like if it's a song written for a commercial in order to sell something, it's not art. It can be a beautiful song, but it's still not art.

So if I doodle and give it to you to pin to your wall, I just made art?

Art is basically anything that someone created that doesn't have any purpose except to be looked at.

Everything else is design.

And just because something is art, it doesn't mean that it's good art. A portrait of dogs playing poker is art. Cr@p art.

Thats a nice definition, but what if I pish in Duchamp's Urinal, is it no longer art? or what if i eat one of Felix Gonzalez-Torres candies is that not art?

Since the OP referenced cut-outs I thought we were talking about visual art in particular

Please share the short essay.

"The products of human creativity." This is one definition I found of 'art,' and one that I think sums up a lot about it- though obviously not all. I don't know if there is any definition all-encompassing enough to define art, or if it can even really be defined completely. One of the difficulties in defining art is that art is extremely subjective- there is nothing definite about it. Our ideas about what constitutes art are as diverse as we ourselves are. But regardless of whether or not we see something as art, most of us will agree that much of what we at least call art is a byproduct of human creativity- or, according to some opinions concerning individual works, a byproduct of lack of creativity. My own view is that if someone creates something in their own creative way, and they want it to be viewed as art, it is. It might not be art to you, but it is art, innately, because it's their creation and was created with that mindset. Art is a concept that only exists as long as we want it to or as long as we apply it to something; if the Mona Lisa existed but every last human passed away, would it still be considered art? I would say no. The concept of art would have ceased to exist along with the last human, leaving the Mona Lisa to exist merely as some colored pigments on canvas.

But what is art? I just used the words 'beauty' and 'uniqueness,' but are those factors in deciding art? I think many people gravitate towards creating and viewing beautiful pieces of art, but those are not deciding factors. Art can be ugly, art can be crude, and art can be sloppy. So then is art supposed to be unique or inspired? Does it have to have a purpose behind it? Does it have to challenge, or create new ideas? I think not. Those are all aspects that much of art does encompass and embrace, but I don't think these features are required or even necessary for something to be art. Sure, they might make the creation more meaningful or have more content, but does art need content or meaning? In my view, all art needs to actually be art is for someone- anyone- to consider it art, and then it is so.

So if I doodle and give it to you to pin to your wall, I just made art?

Thats a nice definition, but what if I pish in Duchamp's Urinal, is it no longer art? or what if i eat one of Felix Gonzalez-Torres candies is that not art?

Yep.