"the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others" (Britannica Online)

Leo Tolstoy on "What is Art?"

In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man.

Every work of art causes the receiver to enter into a certain kind of relationship both with him who produced, or is producing, the art, and with all those who, simultaneously, previously, or subsequently, receive the same artistic impression.

The activity of art is based on the fact that a man, receiving through his sense of hearing or sight another man's expression of feeling, is capable of experiencing the emotion which moved the man who expressed it. To take the simplest example; one man laughs, and another who hears becomes merry; or a man weeps, and another who hears feels sorrow. A man is excited or irritated, and another man seeing him comes to a similar state of mind. By his movements or by the sounds of his voice, a man expresses courage and determination or sadness and calmness, and this state of mind passes on to others. A man suffers, expressing his sufferings by groans and spasms, and this suffering transmits itself to other people; a man expresses his feeling of admiration, devotion, fear, respect, or love to certain objects, persons, or phenomena, and others are infected by the same feelings of admiration, devotion, fear, respect, or love to the same objects, persons, and phenomena.

And it is upon this capacity of man to receive another man's expression of feeling and experience those feelings himself, that the activity of art is based.

We are accustomed to understand art to be only what we hear and see in theaters, concerts, and exhibitions, together with buildings, statues, poems, novels. . . . But all this is but the smallest part of the art by which we communicate with each other in life. All human life is filled with works of art of every kind - from cradlesong, jest, mimicry, the ornamentation of houses, dress, and utensils, up to church services, buildings, monuments, and triumphal processions. It is all artistic activity. So that by art, in the limited sense of the word, we do not mean all human activity transmitting feelings, but only that part which we for some reason select from it and to which we attach special importance.

There is one indubitable indication distinguishing real art from its counterfeit, namely, the infectiousness of art. If a man, without exercising effort and without altering his standpoint on reading, hearing, or seeing another man's work, experiences a mental condition which unites him with that man and with other people who also partake of that work of art, then the object evoking that condition is a work of art. And however poetical, realistic, effectful, or interesting a work may be, it is not a work of art if it does not evoke that feeling (quite distinct from all other feelings) of joy and of spiritual union with another (the author) and with others (those who are also infected by it).

If a man is infected by the author's condition of soul, if he feels this emotion and this union with others, then the object which has effected this is art; but if there be no such infection, if there be not this union with the author and with others who are moved by the same work - then it is not art. And not only is infection a sure sign of art, but the degree of infectiousness is also the sole measure of excellence in art.

LEO TOLSTOY On Art

but then so are many artists!!

ScarletRose: many of the best chess players in the world are also a bit touched in the head. ;)

LuckyCat9: That's true. But if I put a pile of rubbish in the middle of my town and say it's art, it is art?

Some would say yes. That's because some what no boundaries and in some respects I agree. But some things cheapen the idea of art, IMO. And while some folks want to leave the door open for anything, I wouldn't personally go that far.

It's not an argument that will likely be resolved in my lifetime anyway.

ColonelCrockett: well, not everything is art. Just because one person view something as "art" doesnt mean if truly falls under that category.

ScarletRose: Chess involves artistry, but isn't art in its purest sense. However a set is certainly art in its purest sense. And to avid chess players, combinations in play, certainly the "Game of the Centruy" was Chess Art plain and simple.

But to non-chess players, combinations and memorable games are nothing as there is no point of reference ;)

GeGe: cool :)

double post fixed.

if you find any sites you'd like to share, please post them ;)

GeGe: Like this?

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0833540.html

GeGe: Is it solo?

GeGe: Is it more a freeform style?

GeGe: I know ballet. What's modern? ;)

GeGe: All things art! ;) Including Dance for sure. What kind of dance?

nobleheart: My favorite type of pics either drawings or photos are fall pictures. Particularly from the midwest or the countryside in Europe.

nobleheart: I'll check it when I get home and if it does it to me...


zap ;)

ScarletRose: he's the link man! ;)

nobleheart: I really apprecitate your posts! They are so cool. Thanks for doing the work. ;)

ScarletRose: My thought is rather simplistic:

It's not art. It's a bomb in a suitcase.

For me, stuff like this is on the order of dog crap on the US flag. That says something too. But it's more on the order of political cartoon.

Told you it was simplistic. ;)

Controversial exhibit features suitcase bomb, American flag straightjacket

Exhibit Asks: When Is a Bomb Art?
Wednesday, September 14, 2005

PHOTOS VIDEO

Click image to enlarge
STORIES BACKGROUND
•Artist's Performance Offends 9/11 Families
NEW YORK — A controversial art exhibition in Manhattan has people asking: Can a weapon be art?

"A Knock at the Door" features stamps depicting a gun to President Bush's head, a straightjacket made from an American flag and what appears to be a suitcase bomb ( search). The artists have received mixed reviews from both the art police and the real police — a few have been questioned, detained and even charged with crimes related to their work.

Even those who support the exhibit have questions about some of its displays.

• Click in the video box to the right to watch a report by FOX News' Jamie Colby.

"What is provocative and what is safe and free?" asked Tom Healy, president of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council ( search). "I don't have the answer to that in these particular works. And it's not a surprise that authorities would be interested in some of these things. They're works that are pretty hard not to find offensive."

And that's the point of the exhibit — not to provide answers but to ask visitors to decide what is offensive and what is art.

Is a bomb art?


thoughts?

Foxy Lady: off to supper...hope that's a work of art ;)

Foxy Lady: I'll keep trying to get it. Thanks. I want to see if I can buy a color overhead and show that one to my students. :)

nobleheart: wow....number 2 is it!!

http://www.wyldeart.com/Catalog/Coasters/images/CarpetMerchant.jpg

I've seen the original and it's huge.

ScarletRose: I have the info on a postcard I bought when I visited the Minneapolis museum of art. Long time ago! ;) I'll see if I can spot it.

ScarletRose: I have a particular painting that I'm trying to find out more about but am unable to get much info. I think the title is Carpet Merchant or someting like that. Has anyone every heard of it?

nobleheart: I beat ya to it. See mine posted below ;)

http://www.tommydog.com/paintings/painting/monkey.gif

ArtfulDodger: http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Art_Architecture/HASymp02/monkey_painting.jpg

nobleheart: http://www.wga.hu/art/d/decamps/monkey.jpg

ScarletRose: Ratts and I thought it was about me. ;)

Grim Reaper: Ah, I'm not so great. ;)

gekrompen hoofd: First of all, censorship does not exist on BK. Second, we aren't entitled to Freedom Of Speech. It's a game site. We're free to use our accounts to play our games. We're not free to cheat at our games and if we do, we get banned.

This is not a discussion site. It's a game site. The discussion groups are added on. The expectations are set the way they are because this is a world community. Not everybody's thoughts on how the site should be run can be implemented. There has to be a boss. We're free to post within the guidelines. We're not free to set our own rules.

We can't just post anything we want here. There are standards. If someone can't agree to the standards, then they can't post. That seems fair to me.

This isn't the US so the Constitution is invalid here. It's a privately owned game site and he could easily delete all the discussion boards and say, "just play games folks."

We've gone on about this censorship thing long enough in my opinion. The case has been made here as well as other boards. I'd like to see us get back to something more positive.

Michaelangelo's David is fine for this board. I don't think anyone would have a problem with a post to that. However, if one goes looking for problems, it's likely to be found. Some art IS offensive to others and that must be respected. If someone has a problem with that, I can offer them plenty of other discussion sites where the rules are more open. Here the lines are rather specific.

I hope we've heard the last of the censorship threads.

gekrompen hoofd: Exactly where is this happening? I'm not seeing it. Are you speaking of BK or the "world" in general.

Seems to me you have strong opinions and are rather "set" in them. To me, this is a good thing.

But with freedom comes responsibility. When certain laws are in place, it's the responsibility of free people to obey those laws. Without free people following the laws, you'd have anarchy. No one that I know is in favor of that.

I don't know where any of this censorship you protest so strongly is happening. If anything, the problem is the other way around. There are those in the art world that use the freedom they have for artistic expression to offend and degrade the beliefs of others. Often their actions are defended by the US courts.

This art board is for sharing "all things art." It's a casual board and mean to be a relaxed place where "fun" is the key.

any other art teachers on here??

baddessi: hmmmm....I smell an art project with kindergarteners coming on. ;)

baddessi: Great idea!! I'll have to remember that for Camryn. ;)

Foxy Lady: buy her real paints. :) They have these cool fingerpainting trays and you can paint in the tray over and over and over and then either do a print of the finished work or just wash it away. ;)

Remember, all famous artists started out scribbling. ;)

Foxy Lady: Lol!!! My son used to do that. All over the wall!!! and on the crib...and then himself.

But every artist starts with something so why not?

"Oh mommie, lookie what's in my pants. It's finger paint!! wooo hooooo"

ScarletRose: Yep. My kindergarteners are the best artists when it comes to finger paints :) wooo hooo. I've even foot painted .... once.... but that was a once in a lifetime experience :)

As I believe this is Scarlet's idea for a discussion board I'll let her clarify if I'm off base here. The purpose of this art discussion board is to promote positive discussions about art. I am an art teacher and although I teach younger children, I'm still a student and recipient of art and I enjoy art in its many forms.

I think the focus will be on positive discussion. Debates are probably better served in the debate forums.

Any fellowship or discussion board is a bonus to this game site. BBW has stated BK's policys well and don't need to be repeated here. Unless Scarlet has anymore to add, this can be the final word on that thread. ;)

BIG BAD WOLF: Well said BBW and this is a point often missed by all. It boils down to a need for parameters. Someone must decide those parameters and someone must enforce them. Rather like real life. ;)