Expressionism: Painting
Lesson 4

Aesthetics
Why is it art?

Do you wonder why something is called art? Can people agree and disagree and still be correct? Who determines if something is a work of art?



Beverly McIver defines art as communication of her feelings and ideas. She states, "For me, it's the ability to give voice to something very important to me. . .a desire to share it with everyone through painting." She also questions art for herself as an African American person. Her ideas are expressive.

Introduction

AESTHETICS is the study of art. There are several areas to consider:

• The nature of art--what it is
  
• The scope of art--what kind of art it is, e.g. painting or sculpture, etc.
  
• The quality or value of the art work--it is based on a cultural standard
  
• The origin of the work--the artist, the materials used, the history of the artist and the work
  
• The art world--the institutions that house the work and support the work

Objectives

You will be able to:

• Judge the effectiveness of artistic expressions using current art theories. A theory is an accepted explanation or reason or set of assumptions.

This satisfies the Arizona Visual Arts Standards 3AV PO 1 and 2