Question one
Art is a skillful representation of human thoughts in a visual form, such as a sculpture, painting, etc. that are primarily deemed to be beautiful (Joseph A. Goguen, 2000). Tolstoy (1899) defines art as the representation of human experiences such as happiness, suffering, among others, whether real or imagined on a canvas or marble. The human experience in most cases compels them make visual representations that they can appreciate better. It is also a way of communication i.e. one can pass ideas from generation to another for hundreds of year to come. For example, the Michelangelo paintings on the last judgment on the ceiling of Sistine chapel pass critical information the last judgment. The creation of art does not make us the humans we are, but art portrays some innate characteristics of the humans. Since a greater part of the art has some cultural and historical inclination, the historical context of an art gives critical information that helps in understanding the work. Other creatures such as bees, birds, etc. make artwork albeit unknowingly.
Question two
Beautifully made tools are artwork. The main process of making the tools beautiful involves a lot of art such that the final product is appealing to the majority of the people. Functional items may be part of art or not. The finishing, if attractive and portraying certain inclinations in the human culture, then the functional item is an artwork. Human beings have the capability to make art in almost all what they create. Therefore, artwork can be in all items, whether functional or not. When the cultural and political changes of the Bronze Age occurred, humans could extract tin and copper that they used to make bronze. The advancement technology enabled them to make various artworks that lasted longer than stone artworks (“Ancient Chinese Bronzes,” n.d). For example, the ritual grain server dated 1045 BCE. The artwork revolutionized agriculture.
References
“Ancient Chinese Bronzes,” n.d. retrieved on November 2, 2014 from http://www.asia.si.edu/explore/china/bronzes/
Joseph A. Goguen (2000). What is Art? Editorial introduction. Retrieved on November 2, 2014 from http://www.imprint.co.uk/pdf/Introduction.pdf
Tolstoy (1899). What is Art? Reterived on November 2, 2014 from http://web.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/phil%20of%20art/printer- friendly/Tolstoy_on_Art_TWO_COLUMNS.pdf
