The definition of art is loose to nonexistent. How does one qualify a work of art? Is it really possible to invalidate something claiming to be art?
The answer is: it depends on who you ask. San Luis Obispo High School offers many art classes ranging from the broadly inclusive Art I, II, and III, to ceramics and digital photography, in which students learn and master skills relating to their medium(s). The fact that students are graded on their works raises a controversial question: Can art be graded in both literal and academic terms?
“An artist creates something with the intent to make something meaningful or expressive. Whether it be a complicated series of works or just something like a finger painting made for fun, anything can have meaning if it’s made with intent,” said senior Janea Huber who has worked with several mediums this year to create a portfolio to submit to the College Board under AP Art Studio and Design.
The fact that students submit their works in order for a board of questionably qualified graders to evaluate, reiterates this question of whether or not art can be qualified or graded.
Famous artists and creators typically rise to fame for either their skill within a certain niche of art or their originality. For example, French American artist Marcel Duchamp became known for his sculpture, “Fountain”, a urinal with his initials printed on the base. Some may argue that Duchamp’s work doesn’t qualify as art because he neither designed, nor created the urinal itself, and claimed it as his own creation simply because it displayed his signature. However, there is no feasible way to delegitimize a work of art, because there are no “rules” or “qualifications” one needs to label something as “art”.
In contrast, artists such as French impressionist Camille Pissaro are praised for their intricate skill and mastery of technique. It is more understandable that students in painting and drawing classes be graded on their execution of certain techniques such as stippling, different brush strokes, etc, because it revolves around learning and mastering individual styles, and less grading on their actual creations.
“Art is all about creative expression, and is not limited to visual, but also physical and performance art,” said art teacher Michael Norton.
Art is universal and infinite. And while it seems that every person has their own interpretation of its parameters, no solid and all-inclusive definition will ever exist.
