What is art?

Art is intangible; it is ambiguous, nebulous, powerful. Among the definitons for "art" one finds, "'skill or craftsmanship; the creativity of Man as distinguished from Nature'". The definition of 'Art' is really not the question. There are pages and pages of discussions by critics, philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, educators and, of course artists, on the question of "What is Art?'. The answer may have been expressed by Harry Callahan, a reknown American photographer, most simply when he said, "You can't teach 'Art', Art is a feeling. All you can teach is the use of the tools." He may well be correct. Art is ultimately the expressing, the communicating, of feelings; the tools have always changed with the social currents.

Every culture has any number of artforms. Ever since stick-scratchings on cave walls became wavy lines made by hair-on-stick-dipped-in-berries or dancing to drumbeats by the light of the moon changed to become movements to music under sparkling glass, people have felt the need to communicate what they feel.

Art is not discipline or medium alone. Look at the various modes of expression from the literal and representational to abstract or conceptual, music or landscape architecture to graffiti or film. With the numerous tools that can be used, they are still only vehicles, links to the common elements all people, all cultures.