16 - Henry Harding "What is Art?"

Art is anything created by man that is not required for human survival. The only thing that humans need to survive (in a purely animalistic sense) is food, water, and shelter - all of which can be found in nature. One day, man decided to find a greater purpose to life than just pure survival, and he expressed his yearning to find the meaning of life through his art. He created things like painting, music, and dance - ways in which he could communicate his thoughts and feelings to other humans. Other humans discovered art in things like Math and Science - ways in which we can deepen our understanding of the world we live in. Man has created art for so long that often times people forget what Art really is and where it can be found. Some people think that art is something that can only be found in museums (false). Art can be found in anything man-made. Just look around the room and you will begin to notice things that can fall under the definition of art simply because it is man-made. For example, a chair is designed by someone with the intention to make the user feel comfortable and secure, and usually the design has some aesthetic quality. So, that water bottle, that lamp, that fan, and that door knob can be called art. Another way to find art is to fill in the blank with a verb: The Art of _______. For example, the art of running, the art of acting, the art of meditation, etc. The reason my definition of art is so broad is because if you limit how one can define art, there will be someone who finds a way to expand the definition in a way you were unable to imagine.