What art is, of course, will argue at all times. Different researchers on this subject have their own opinion, which consists not only of objective knowledge, but also of subjective assessment. All, however, agree that, unlike science, which helps to understand the world experimentally and through experience, art is a sensual way of knowing and displaying the world in visual forms.
The history of art is almost as old as the world itself. Even in the days of primitive society, people separated material culture from the spiritual one, while noting that they were closely related. For example, a successful hunt, the materiality of which was expressed in a large amount of food, was fixed on the walls of the caves in the form of drawings depicting animals and people. Many will say what art is - and not art at all. However, it is worth considering that everything complex grows out of simple.
Already in the III-IV centuries BC, philosophy and art were closely intertwined. People not only created beauty, but also tried to realize why it is so necessary for them to reflect the world around them through creativity. Even before Plato and Aristotle - the greatest philosophers - there was a philosophy of art that addresses the problems of aesthetics. Even then, people noticed that even phenomena and objects that are unpleasant for a person in real life, causing a feeling of fear and even disgust, can be easily realized in the form of creativity. The then scientists and philosophers said that art is a process of reflection of the world around us, though almost always in a distorted form: be it realism or, for example, surrealism (everyone remembers the amazing paintings of Salvador Dali?).
Art has gone through many stages of development: from prehistoric to modern. As society evolved, the answer to the question of what art is was constantly changing. If initially art was reflected in the creation of paintings and sculptures showing the beauty of the human body - the strength of the male, as well as the flexibility and grace of the female - then, for example, in the Middle Ages, art was completely concentrated around the soul, religion and God.
Later, in the course of numerous studies, scientists and philosophers said that art is designed to guide a person on the path of harmony and unity with the world. It can not only give aesthetic pleasure, but also heal mental and even physical illnesses, teach what is good and what is evil.
Understanding art itself is even more difficult than understanding its definition. It is multifaceted, and therefore often the thought that the artist or sculptor wanted to convey remains unrecognized and unsolved for the audience - and this is the norm. After all, art can hardly be called art if its subject has only one single correct interpretation.
Unfortunately, closer to our time, art has gained a commercial orientation, which is why its value is often diminished: numerous installations and paintings that do not carry any meaning are commonly called “modern art”, and the world’s pearls of human creativity begin to be forgotten. However, a rational person brought up on the ideals of spirituality and culture, of course, can always understand what art is and what are transient phenomena.
