Ultimately, what defines art is a question that resists a singular answer. It is shaped by an interplay of factors: the intention of the creator, the context of its presentation, and the perception of its audience. Philosophers like John Dewey emphasize that art is a process, not a product—an experience that unfolds between the work and its observer. This relational approach aligns with the view that art can be found anywhere, provided we engage with it thoughtfully.
In today’s world, the boundaries of art continue to blur. Social media, public interventions, and everyday encounters expand our understanding of what art can be. While museums and galleries remain vital spaces for reflection and preservation, they no longer hold a monopoly on artistic meaning. Instead, art thrives in its multiplicity—within and beyond frames, in curated halls and forgotten corners.
As we navigate a world filled with both traditional and unconventional expressions, the question shifts from “What is art?” to “How do we choose to see it?” Art, in its essence, challenges us to look closer, think deeper, and connect more profoundly with the world around us. Whether in a museum, on a street, or in the unnoticed poetry of everyday life, art invites us to reconsider what we value—and why.
What Makes Art, Art?
Building on the idea that everyday arrangements can be perceived as art, the philosophical and aesthetic questions surrounding what constitutes art become even more pressing. If we accept that art is no longer confined to galleries or museums, how do we determine what qualifies as art, where it begins, and what sustains its identity? This second exploration pushes deeper into these ideas, examining the role of context, interpretation, and frameworks in shaping art’s meaning and value.
Is Art Defined by Its Context?
In the first exploration, we touched on how Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain revolutionized the art world by reframing an ordinary urinal as a piece of art. But Duchamp’s provocation raises a broader question: does art inherently require a deliberate recontextualization to exist? Philosophers like Nelson Goodman argue that art is not a property of objects themselves but of the “worlds” they inhabit. In other words, the same object can be art in one setting and mundane in another, depending on the circumstances of its presentation.
Context can transform perception. For instance, a crumpled piece of paper in a trash bin is easily overlooked, but place it on a plinth in a gallery, and it invites scrutiny, even reverence. This dynamic becomes more complex in contemporary art, where artists like Banksy exploit public spaces to challenge the very notion of curated contexts. His work often thrives because it exists outside the gallery, in the rawness of urban environments, offering unmediated access to passersby.
However, there is a counterpoint to consider: is context too much of a crutch? If an object or arrangement requires a gallery or an artist’s name to be perceived as art, is it still meaningful? Everyday installations—those accidental compositions of objects in public spaces—suggest that perhaps context is less important than we think. Instead, they call on the observer to actively assign meaning, placing the power of “art-making” in the hands of the audience rather than institutions.
