Art: What is it? (part 1)

Before we begin, I’d like to lay a little ground work. This series of articles is not about the word “Art.” It is about something in the universe for which, I think, it is suitable to use the word “Art” as a name. This is an important distinction. It is possible to have conversations about words, and they can be very interesting and beneficial. But, when we are using words to their purpose, we are trying to look past them in that we are looking at something else through the use of them. This means that the definitions I give of “Art” here may not be the only suitable ones, but I intend them to be useful ones, because I intend them to point out and describe things out there in the universe.

What Is There to Talk About?

The Paragon of Animals is pouring this coffee.

In “The Good, the True, and The Beautiful”, I mentioned that the line between artist and audience isn’t that dark when they both strive towards the titular ideals. That’s a nice sounding, vague sort of thing to say, but it bears a lot more thought. If pop-culture is a big conversation about goodness, truth, and beauty (or, at least, if it is forced to be by me) what is there really to say?

Consumerism

Not pop-culture

What is “pop-culture”, and why should we care?

It is art, recently produced and intended to please an audience, as well as the concepts, clichés, and conversations that inform, surround, and result from it. This will be our working definition. Star Wars, Super Mario Bros., zombies, Chuck Norris, NCIS, Freddie Mercury, and the Ninja Turtles all fit into it nicely.