Definitions of art in light of metaphor

by Mark Staff Brandl

First, as I have and will discuss in other articles, one must separate the simple definitional (ontological), hence categoric, “placement” of art from quality judgments (axiology), and taste.

Here I am addressing the various historic, philosophic attempts to define art. I have listed them, overly simplified, and then matched them to simple keywords that represent the major refutations of that definition. This is a list I use to encourage discussion, dispute and reflection in classes or discussion sessions I lead.

In truth, I believe art has been continuously redefined, at least since the Renaissance, but perhaps always, and most emphatically since Modernism. This is one of its chief strengths in human societies which almost all aim to pigeonhole and thereby dismiss and control every aspect of human thought.

I believe creating a working, and purposefully fuzzy, definition of art is nevertheless a great thought experiment, as long as one keeps a healthy dose of skepticism in the mix. My version is based in metaphor theory. In this, I concentrate on art objects (of all sorts, objects of perception, including performative ones and so on) and the process of making them. On artists, then, in fact.

The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy. Whether art can be defined has also been a matter of controversy. The philosophical usefulness of a definition of art has also been debated.

Various Definitions of Art, “Crash” Discussion List. My list is in English and German, as I usually teach in German.

Definition. Refutation(s/-en). 1. Art is Skill.

Die Kunst ist Handfertigkeit. Detail; Sport.

eine Einzelheit, Sport. 2. Art is Representation / Mimetic (Aristotle’s).

Die Kunst ist die Darstellung / die Memetik. Abstraction.

Abstraktion. 3. Art is Whatever It Has Been Traditionally.

Die Kunst ist “was sie bist jetzt war.” It grows, changes.

Sie wachst, ändert. 4. Art is Beauty.

Die Kunst ist die Schönheit. Ugliness as a statement.

Die Hässlichkeit als Äusserung. 5. Art is Beautiful Form.

Die Kunst ist schöne Form. Then, “mere” Decoration.

Dann, “blosse” Dekoration. 6. Art is Content (Spirit, Hegel)

Die Kunst ist der Inhalt. (Geist, Hegel. usw.) Detail; “Lofty thoughts” in ones own head.

Einzelheit; “erhabene Gedanken“ nur im Kopf. 7. Art is Experience (Dewey).

Die Kunst ist die Erfahrung. Too broad, almost empty statement.

Zu breit, fast eine leere Behauptung. 8. Art is Communication.

Die Kunst ist die Kommunikation. Not only; propaganda, packaging, “telegram.”

Nicht nur; Propaganda, Packaging, “das Telegramm” 9. Art is Emotion / Expression.

Die Kunst ist das Gefühl / der Ausdruck. Intellectual Art.

Intellektuelle Kunst. 10. Art is Representation that is Purposive in Itself (Kant).

Die Kunst ist eine Vorstellungsart, die für sich selbst die ästhetische Anschauung zweckmäßig ist. “aesthetic attitude;” distancing; Paying close attention.

“die ästhetische Anschauung;” Gut aufpassen. 11. Art is Significant Form (Fry, Bell, Greenberg).

Die Kunst ist die Schaffung signifikanter Formen. Circular, unprovable, “only” Avantgardistic (limited).

Ein Zirkelschluss, unbeweisbar, “nur” Avantgardistisch (begrenzt). 12. Art is Its Own Philosophy.

Die Kunst ist identisch mit ihrer eigenen Philosophie. Non-intellectual art.

Nicht-intellektuelle Kunst. 13. Art is a series of Linked Objects (Wittgenstein/Weiss)

Die Kunst ist eine Reihe von verketteten Objekten. Probably true—but side detail.

Wahrscheinlich wahr—aber Nebendetail. 14. Art is the Expansion of Its Own Definition.

Die Kunst ist die Erweiterung ihrer eigenen Definition. May be true in Modernism—but only one detail.

Wahr—in Modernismus—aber Nur ein Element. 15. Art is Intent.

Die Kunst ist die Absicht. “Intentional Fallacy”—can’t read minds.

“intentionaler Trugschluss,” kann nicht Gedanken lesen. 16. Art is Taste (What I Like).

Die Kunst ist der Geschmack (was ich gern habe). Category ≠ Quality ≠ Taste

Kategorie ≠ Qualität ≠ Geschmack 17. Art is Quality.

Die Kunst ist die Qualität. Category ≠ Quality ≠ Taste

Kategorie ≠ Qualität ≠ Geschmack 18. Art is Therapy.

Die Kunst ist die Therapie. “Masturbation,” no communication.

Die Masturbation, keine Kommunikation. 19. Art is Anything in the Institution of Art.

Die Kunst ist alles, was innerhalb der Kunstinstitution präsentiert ist. See Wollheim’s Dilemma (Reasons for…)

Grund für Prüsentation… 20. Art is Career.

Die Kunst ist die Karriere. Sophistry.

Sophisterei. 21. Art is Embodied Meaning (Brandl).

Die Kunst ist verkörperte, mehrfache Bedeutungen (Brandl). ?

And now Brandl’s working definition: Art is the activity of making artworks and the collection of those creations. Artworks are “objects” made with embodied multiple meanings. Art works are objects of perception (whatever the media) created (formed, presented, chosen, etc.) for multiple interpretations; ones which were furthermore wrought, offered or viewed as falling within the context or history of previous entities called “art.” These are creations wherein the form and the content are inextricably interwoven, each mirroring the other in its own terms. This is primarily achieved through metaphor and metaphor(m).