What is Art?

Just what is art? and how can we recognize it. I’ve been thinking about this because I have to teach a short introductory class to a group of teenagers.

I think the immediate response to my question "What is Art?" will be "pictures". What sort of "pictures", perhaps painted, drawn. What about photography, is that art. Our family photos don’t seem to fit into that category but perhaps a Max Dupain photo would. Why? What’s the difference? Is a basket art? Well no, but then we see many we would call art. Textiles; are they art? Well the tea towel in my kitchen wouldn’t be considered art by these teenagers but I could show them tea towels that are art. What is the difference?

When the students begin to struggle with words to answer this, I will tell them they have the answer. It’s impossible to describe the differences. We don’t seem to have the right words to define what is art and what isn’t…we just seem to know. This is exactly what art is. The unexplainable, the things where our language fail us. It’s a feeling towards a work by the viewer and an attempt at describing the unexplainable by the artist. An artwork captures another human’s attempt at describing their human experience .Writers, musicians and artists all use their mediums to try to describe concepts which lay beyond our general speech. Making experience tangible.

There is an ancient Polynesian belief that the artist is a vehicle through whom the Gods create. Art has not always been a separate division of life left to ‘talented’ people. It was seen as a birthright. Just as a right to clean air and water. I think the activity of making art is for everybody but everybody shouldn’t be forced to agree with me! Painting, drawing, pottery etc. are not the only forms of art and it may take some experimenting to find a medium that suits. A medium where you can feel comfortable to explore technique. Yarn is that medium for me, but others may like cement, metal, needle and thread, clay, software, pencils, paper etc., etc.

So what art form will I introduce these young students to? Textiles of course. A form where technique, function and beauty can meet. We will do a 16 strand Japanese Kumihimo braid in wool.