There are thousands of different definitions of this word, and regarding a single work, there are countless interpretations and differing opinions. What is art? A Renaissance painting or an Indian totem, a Greek temple or a skyscraper, a child's drawing or a work by a contemporary artist? A blank sheet of paper can be considered art, a fork, an armchair, a blue canvas—anything can be considered art. No one is wrong when they express their concept of art, everyone is right because it is subjective , acquiring a specific meaning only when related to the individual who creates it and who observes it. It cannot be fixed in a precise, objective framework: the meaning of a work usually has no well-defined boundaries, but is extremely mobile and fluctuating.
Expression of the human soul
Art conforms to one's worldview , to one's personality, and even to one's mood : it is not a monolithic, flat block. This is what characterizes it. However, one thing, at least one, must be said: it is an expression of the human soul, like a submarine that descends into the depths of our feelings and then resurfaces, bringing us testimony to that inner world we often forget. Many philosophers and thinkers saw art as the best tool for reaching the Truth (the one written with a capital T, the one that helps us understand the meaning of ourselves and the world). The language of art is not that of words, of rational concepts, or at least it is absolutely limiting to say so: it speaks the language of the heart , it allows us to see the reality that surrounds us from a different, deeper, more human perspective.
Art is the synthesis between our inner self and external reality. It brings reality closer to our soul and brings our soul closer to reality. You may or may not agree with what I've just written: if you don't, you're right; otherwise, you're still right.
Sociology of art
Of course, there is also a branch of sociology that addresses this area: the sociology of art . This type of sociology analyzes, on the one hand, the arts as activities or languages with an aesthetic dimension in social life, such as clothing, furniture, architecture, cuisine, but also music and advertising, etc. On the other hand, it examines the specific activity and world of artists, such as the artistic environment, the bodies responsible for selection and promotion, the reception of works of art or artistic movements, their diffusion, etc.
Simone Santoro
