A work of art is anything that someone, usually a professional artist, makes with the intent to create an aesthetic experience for the viewer. This may be achieved by a combination of elements, including the use of color, shape and line, to convey ideas or emotions, and the choice of medium (e.g. painting, sculpture, printmaking or drawing). The idea is to engage the viewer’s sense of sight.
Art is a form of expression, communication and entertainment that has been used to stimulate imagination and creativity for centuries. It may be illustrative, decorative or representative and often has symbolic meaning buried within it. There are no rules as to what constitutes art, but artists often make a conscious effort to create work that will stand out from everyday life.
The most basic function of art is to communicate ideas. This can be done through a variety of techniques, such as figurative representation in art for history or civics; the creation of scale models for engineering projects; and the representation of emotions in abstract paintings or sculpture.
Other works of art can be created for purely aesthetic purposes. This may be achieved through the selection of particular colors, shapes or lines that are pleasing to the eye, as well as the use of light and shadows in a composition. The creation of a sense of balance or harmony in an artwork is also often an aesthetic goal, as is the desire to explore and understand the nature of perception (see aesthetics).
In some cases, art has been commissioned for specific uses such as commemorative objects, educational or promotional material or to support local craftsmen and traditions. In other instances, it has been a form of self-expression, exploration or personal challenge for the creator.
There is also a philosophical concept of what art is that is based on the ideas of Martin Heidegger, who argued that works of art represent a culture’s attempt to come to terms with its own notions of truth and being. As each new work of art is added to a culture’s art collection, it alters the definition of what is true and false.
An important question is whether or not a piece of work has been influenced by other artists and art movements. A similar question is to what extent it reflects cultural and social changes in the country, region or time period that it was created. For example, was it a reaction to or reflection on current political, economic, historical, religious or cultural situations? Finally, it is also useful to consider how a work of art is structured or organised. For instance, does it utilise a formal system of arrangement or mathematical proportion (e.g. a grid format; the rule of thirds; golden ratio or spiral); or does it employ visual devices such as overlapping, clustered or concentrated items; repetition of forms; frames within frames; patterned edging or broken borders)?