What is art 

     Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It

encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film,

sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics.

     Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. This conception changed during the Romantic

period, when art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science".

[1] Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.

    The nature of art has been described by Richard Wollheim as "one of the most elusive of  the  traditional problems of

    human culture".

[2] It has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of emotions and ideas, a means for exploring

     and appreciating formal elements for their own sake, and as mimesis or representation

[3] Leo Tolstoy identified art as a use of indirect means to communicate from one person to another.

[4] Benedetto Croce and R.G. Collingwood advanced the idealist view that art expresses emotions, and    that the work of

     art therefore essentially exists in the mind of   the creator.

[5]The theory of art as form has its roots in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, and was developed in the  early twentieth

     century by Roger Fry and Clive Bell.

[6] Art as mimesis or representation has deep roots in the philosophy of Aristotle.

[7] More recently, thinkers influenced by Martin Heidegger have interpreted art as the means by which a   community

    develops for itself a medium for self-expression and  interpretation.

The effect of art ：

    Art causes people to look a little closer. To look closer at the social issues, at other people and their emotions, at the

environment that surround them, and the everyday objects and life forms around them. It helps them see what is there but

not easily perceived. The artist brings out that which cannot be seen or felt easily.

    When society sees and feels clearly on these things, it provides opportunities for change in thought or appreciation of

the message behind the art. It can cause people to re-examine their thinking on the subject that’s put before them.

Is Art Just a Form of Self-Expression or is it a Statement?

     Art is usually about self-expression because the artist feels strongly enough about what they are doing to try and put it

into a form that they, and others, can come to terms with. This product of their self-expression can help others because

there will always be people who feel the same way but they cannot express it themselves. These people will identify with

the artist and draw encouragement, purpose, and excitement about the thing expressed.

     One of the functions of the artist is to make a statement of some kind. It may be a simple statement, the beauty of the

landscape for example, but it is a statement. Somehow the artist is trying to communicate an idea, an emotion, or a

purpose in their work.I know there has been that idea around that new art can be created about old art. One would think

that there’s enough subject material or ideas in this world to make a statement about, without the need to re-hash that

which has already been communicated in other art pieces. I did a painting a couple of years ago that used a statue in a

park as a subject. The soldier statue was the true work of art and I just brought it to everybody’s attention again by painting

it. I guess in a way I was making a statement about an existing piece of art. Some painters will do paintings of historical

buildings or other architecture pieces that stand out as unique and artistic in design. In this way I suppose the artist is

making a statement about art itself.

Art as Decoration or Ornamentation

     Unfortunately most people still think of art as decoration. The problem with thinking that way about a piece of art is that

people get tired of the decoration and want to change the décor after a few years. Good art does not go out of style. I like to

think of art as a separate entity, it may not match the room. There are lots of cheap prints out there that can be used as

decoration and, in a way, it's art and yes it's decoration. The idea that art is decoration undervalues a work.

Art's Contribution to Society

     The combined words "arts and culture" have been around for a long time. In many ways what sits in national museums

should reflect a society. But from what I understand and have seen in the big galleries it doesn’t seem to reflect the

average person on the street. Some of the art in the museums can actually add to the impoverishment. But, if art builds up

the human spirit rather then breaking it down, then it can build up a culture.

     We make art because there is something inside the creative person that needs to get out. The poet, musician, actor,

and visual artist all have a desire to express what they feel and to create something of great value. It’s a type of therapy or

a form of meditation. Many do art for the pure joy of it.

What is art for ？

       art plays a large part in making our lives infinitely rich. Imagine, just for a minute, a world without art! (You may think

"So what?", but please consider the impact that lack of graphics would have on your favorite video game.) Art stimulates

different parts of our brains to make us laugh or incite us to riot, with a whole gamut of emotions in between. Art gives us a

way to be creative and express ourselves. For some people, art is the entire reason they get out of bed in the morning.

You could say "Art is something that makes us more thoughtful and well-rounded humans."On the other hand, art is such

a large part of our everyday lives, we hardly even stop to think about it. Look at the desk or table where you are, right

this minute. Someone designed that. It is art. Your shoes are art. Your coffee cup is art. All functional design, well done, is

art. So, you could say "Art is something that is both functional and (hopefully) aesthetically pleasing to our eyes."

 You might say "Art is in a constant state of change, so nobody can really pin down what it is." The constant change part is

true, but the not pinning it down part is going to get you a bad grade. It may even raise a comment or two about your being

some sort of wisenheimer. Don't go this route.

You might even say "Art is subjective, and means something different to every single person on earth." This, too, is the

truth. I would caution against this approach, however, as it would require a stack of paper from here to the moon to cite all

of your 6.3 billion references.

Now, everything just stated has elements of truth, but is largely based on opinion. My opinion is, frankly, useless in your

paper-writing endeavor. Form your own opinions (that should be the reason you are receiving an education, after all), and

be sure to sprinkle them in your answer...which needs a factual basis, so here are the cold hard facts:

Art is form and content.

"Art is form and content" means: All art consists of these two things.Form means

(1) the elements of art,

(2) the principles of design and

(3) the actual, physical materials that the artist has used. Form, in this context, is concrete and fairly easily described - no

matter which piece of art is under   scrutiny.

  Suppose you've written: "One half of all art is form. Here is how Goya's The Shootings of May Third, 1808 fits in." You

would then go on to provide details about how Goya used color, value, space and line (elements of art). He used balance,

contrast, emphasis and proportion (principles of design). He composed the aforementioned elements and principles on

canvas, using brushes and oil paints (the physical part of "form").

    The example just given employed a work of Western art, and was written in English. It doesn't take much of a leap in

imagination, though, to understand that the concepts behind "form" could be applied to any piece of art, created anywhere

on earth, at any time, using any language. With that, we have successfully covered "form".

Content, now, gets a little more tricky. "Content" is idea-based and means 

(1) what the artist meant to portray, 

(2) what the artist actually did portray and 

(3) how we react, as individuals, to both the intended and actual messages. 

   Additionally, "content" includes ways in which a work was influenced - by religion, or politics, or society in general, or

even the artist's use of hallucinogenic substances - at the time it was created. All of these factors, together, make up the

"content" side of art.

    Returning to the Goya example, you might comment on the fact that the shootings were an actual event. Napoleon had

invaded Spain, at the time, and subjected it to six years of war and revolution (political and social influences). There had

been a revolt by citizens of Madrid, and they were summarily executed (historical context). Goya, obviously, didn't think this

was good and recorded the stark horror for all posterity. (He was successful at conveying that which he meant to convey.)

We react to the painting in our different ways - usually with mixed feeling of revulsion, anger and sorrow. 

    Again, we are discussing "content" using one picture as an example, but the same parameters apply to any piece of

art. 

    That's my best reply, then. The first four paragraphs are applicable - with infinite variations, up to, and including, "The

way my girlfriend puts on her eyeshadow is art." Just be sure that your main argument includes "Art is form and content".

You can certainly think of some great examples using works of art that you know and/or enjoy. Now - go get cracking on

that paper and, next time, don't wait until the last minute

Question: What are the "elements" of art? Why are they important?

Answer: 

  The elements of art are sort of like atoms in that both serve as "building blocks." You know that atoms combine and form

other things, right? Sometimes they'll casually make a simple molecule, as when hydrogen and oxygen form water (H2O).

If hydrogen and oxygen take a more aggressive career path and bring carbon along as a co-worker, together they might

form something more complex, like a molecule of sucrose 

      A similar activity happens when the elements of art are combined. Instead of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, etc., in art

you've got line, shape, form, space, texture, value and color. Artists manipulate these elements, mix them in with

principles of design and compose a piece of art. Not every work has every last one of these elements contained within it,

but there are always at least two present.

For example, a sculptor, by default, has to have both form and space in a sculpture, because these elements are three-

dimensional. They can also be made to appear in two-dimensional works through the use of perspective and shading.

Art would be sunk without line, sometimes known as "a moving point." While line isn't something found in nature, it is

absolutely essential as a concept to depicting objects and symbols, and defining shapes.
   

     Texture is another element, like form or space, that can be real (run your fingers over an Oriental rug, or hold an

unglazed pot), created (think of van Gogh's lumpy, impasto-ed canvases) or implied (through clever use of shading).Now,

I will try not to leap up and down and pinwheel my arms in large, excited arcs over color, but, really - it's often the whole

point for us visual types. Show me a red spectrum, regardless of value (lightness or darkness), and my brain yells

"Hallelujah!" Then, of course, there are all of those lovely, soothing blues...oh! And green! The color of nature and the

renewal of life. There have got to be at least 84,000 tints and tones of green. And, yellow! My goodness, I do love a sunny

yellow. Not a sickly-looking "Whoa! Hey, you should get your liver function tested, buddy" shade of yellow, mind you,

but...what? Sorry. What was the other part of the question?

Why are the elements of art important?

      Right. The elements of art are important for several reasons. First, and most importantly, a person can't create art

without utilizing at least a few of them. No elements, no art, end of story. And we wouldn't even be talking about any of this,

would we?

     Secondly, knowing what the elements of art are enables us to

(1) describe what an artist has done,

(2) analyze what is going on in a particular piece and  communicate our thoughts and findings using a

   common language.

Musicians can talk about the key of "A," and they all know it means "a pitch relating to 440 oscillations per second of

vibration." Mathematicians may use the very basic word "algorithm" and feel confident that most people know they mean

"a step-by-step procedure for carrying out computation." Botanists world-wide will employ the name "rosa rugosa," rather

than the much longer "that old-fashioned shrub rose - you know, the one that leaves hips in the fall - with the five-petaled

flowers that can be yellow, white, red or pink." These are all specific examples of a common language coming in handy for

intelligent (and shortened) discourse.

   So it is with the elements of art. Once you know what the elements are, you can trot them out, time after time, and never

put a wrong foot forward in the Art World.

   Does your instructor want you to write a few words and/or pages on a painting of your choice? Choose wisely, and then

wax euphoric on form, lines and color.

Have you found an unidentified work in your great-aunt's attic/toolshed/outhouse? It is helpful, when describing the piece

to someone who may be able to supply you with further information, to throw in some of the piece's elements of art along

with: "It's an etching. It's on paper."

  Stumped for conversation at a gallery show? Try "The artist's use of _________(insert element here) is interesting." This

is a much safer course than attempting to psychoanalyze the artist (after all, you may be standing in a clump of people that

includes his or her mother) or using words which leave you a bit uncertain of exact meanings and/or pronunciations.

   See? The elements of art are both fun and useful. Remember: line, shape, form, space, texture, value and color.

Knowing these elements will allow you to analyze, appreciate, write and chat about art, as well as being of help should

you create art yourself.

Question: What Is Representational Art?

Answer: 

  "I would like to have an introduction article on representational art..."**

The word "representational," when used to describe a work of art, means that the work depicts something easily

recognized by most people.

   For example, the artist Leon Dolice created an etching entitled Third Avenue, which depicts a street scene in New York

City. You can see a street, an automobile and lots of buildings - one of which is only found in New York City. This etching

is representational art.

  Conversely, the Abstract Expressionist artist, Franz Kline, painted a piece entitled New York, New York. While a famous

painting, it is entirely non-representational. It's not a scene of New York City. There are no identifiable objects or people

within. In fact, one is left free to interpret whatever one wishes about this piece."...its origin (history)..."

   Representational art got its start many millennia ago with Late Paleolithic figurines and carvings. Venus of Willendorf,

while not too terribly realistic, is clearly meant to show the figure of a woman. She was created around 25,000 years ago,

and is here mentioned as an excellent example of early representational art.

   Throughout our history as art-creating humans, most art has been representational. Even when art was symbolic, or

non-figurative, it was usually representative of something. Abstract (non-representational) art is a relatively recent

invention, and didn't evolve until the early 20th-century."...and its present status..."

    Representational art is thriving. In my opinion (and it is just that: an opinion), representational art is far more "viewer-

friendly" to the vast majority of people than is abstract or conceptual art. We (absolutely including myself) have a higher

degree of comfort with art when something recognizable catches the eye and registers. Perhaps this has never happened

to you, but I have, personally, been made to feel stupid at an opening or exhibition, by asking "ignorant" questions or not

"getting" the point in an abstract piece. (Presumably, I was the only person in the gallery who was not able to read the

artist's mind.)This is not to say that abstract art isn't a thing of beauty. Most of it stands alone, appreciable on the basis of

light, color and design. The problem is that we humans are compelled to understand things and use words in an attempt

to do so. Too many words - and often too big and too obscure, to boot. All of those words cloud an experience that is seen

and felt on an individual basis.

    The point (yes, there really was one) is, most people like art and like to have a thing or two to hang on the wall at home.

Whether it's an original, a poster, a high-quality reproduction or something from one of those "Starving Artist" sales that

periodically roll through town, it's going to be something the owner wants to look at on a daily basis. And that will most

often be representational art."...and also some briefing on some of his exponents."  

A list of artists currently producing representational art would run for many, many pages. It would take far less space to

publish a short list of those who make their livings from non-representational art.

   Additionally, the workshop (or atelier) system continues to exist, and many of these teach figurative painting exclusively.

One example is the School of Representational Art in Chicago, Illinois. There are also whole societies dedicated to r

epresentational art. Here in the United States, the Traditional Fine Arts Organization comes quickly to mind. A web search

using the key words of "representational + art + (your geographical location)" should turn up venues and/or artists in your

area.

Thanks for writing and asking questions!