What is art?

This article is part of a series being published by Romartikaspeaks on what art is. Author of this article, Artist Nisha Sapre, is a self-taught artist with a background in Chemistry and spent three decades abroad actively engaged in art and exhibitions. Her works are held in private collections, and she continues to pursue landscape and impressionist painting after returning to India. Despite not taking formal art exams, she has successfully coached students preparing for them. Her artistic contributions have earned her multiple awards and commendations.

What is art?

Difficult to describe but easy to relate to. People define art differently. Each one has his own perspective and interpretation depending on various factors such as their culture, environment and their own ideas.

Art is something which is inherent in every human being. Give some crayons and paper to a toddler and the scribble he creates, becomes a piece of art in his doting parent's eyes. For art to be art, it should engage the viewer whether emotionally or intellectually. Also the art should exhibit the skill of the artist.

Then there are pieces like "Comedian" by Maurizio Cattelan where he just duct- taped a banana to a wall and it got sold for millions of dollars.

Now a days, the parameters of art have become so blurred with the advent of AI and social media promotions. Give a brush dipped in paint to a dog or an elephant, they also show their artistic prowess and get adulations. Whether you call that art is entirely upto you. Then there are pieces like "Comedian" by Maurizio Cattelan where he just duct- taped a banana to a wall and it got sold for millions of dollars. Again to call it art is an individual perception.

Like Elbert Hubbard has said "Art is not a thing; it's a way." So true. It's not an inanimate thing which is produced mechanically like some factory product. Your whole being, all your senses are engaged in it. It's a journey where you keep finding yourselves on the way.

As Thomas Merton has put it so beautifully "Art enables to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."

For me that's Art.