When you look up the definition of art, it states in the Oxford dictionary that “Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”
However, and from a different point of view and perspective, this description is almost as if it is restricting the limits of art a little too much, as with different forms of art, it might be quite impossible to define it entirely, for instance an architectural building from a dark past might be thought provoking or extraordinary, but not necessarily beautiful or even built for lasting beauty. Some art in music form or literature might be offensive and not to everyone’s taste (Editor’s note: No pun intended) and not typically visual or even that emotionally powerful, but with a lasting effect or influence.
Being in the habit to conclude that ancient Roman or Greek philosophers also had a unique way of explaining art, referring to the likes of Seneca, who proclaimed in his letters to Lucilius - “All art is but imitation of nature”, or where a broader spectrum is evidently enhanced with Aristotle’s – “Art completes what nature cannot bring to a finish. The artist gives us knowledge of nature’s unrealized ends.” However, Seneca and Aristotle were Stoics and the definition of “Nature” according to stoicism is quite different to what we understand by it today. Nature in this sense is not a forest, plants, or the ocean, but it was “the way things work” and it involves everything we can and cannot imagine or understand, like the cosmos, the mind, the body, or emotions. This is an appealing definition as it basically means “All art is but imitation of the way things work”. It could be how things work for the artist while creating or for the observer that experiences the created art.
Known as innovators by creating new styles and techniques in the artistic realm, it is also known that the Greek concept of beauty were primarily based on fuller form and proportion, for that portrayed a sense of wellbeing or in some cases wealth, but trying to fully understand the ancient Greek or Roman philosopher’s point of view on art can be difficult as their views were of a more hypothetical nature, compared to the representative nature of the artist in their creation of art.
This brings forth the notion that there are countless forms as well as reasons that motivates art and the creation thereof, whether it be through inner inspiration or from sourced motivation, one thing is for certain and that is: whatever is created can be observed as an expression or form of communication.
Surely art can be seen as a dimensional platform that the artist creates and whomever experiences it, whether physically or mentally, musically, theatrically, or visually, is subjected to its spectacular influence. It is this influence that can either be adored or despised, but the conclusion lies in this, and that is, that it is an influence none the less, basically turning art into a formless expression or means of communication, meaning you do not have to understand a language, know a culture, or even agree with the artist’s perception of depiction to understand or experience the aimed effect.
This brings us to a form of art that is influential in both a visual and a physical appeal. It is the art of Interior Designing. Consisting of many different branches in the industry, like engineers, trades people or interior decorators just to name a few. This is art that is not only created by single entities, but through a form of combined unity for an end result. Take something as mundane as designing a new look for your kitchen or go a little more extreme to a complete revamp of a home, apart from depending mostly on available funds, the design of interior space is an artform that puts an emphasis on the expectation of the outcome. Interior designing is so unique to that of other artforms in the sense that it creates an unavoidable and consistent affection over longer periods of time, as people are spending more and more time indoors. So, its time for realising that art is closer to us than we think, and it is in the things we don’t always think of. If you do not like a painting, you can simply walk away or not acquire it. If you do not like a sculpture or song, you can simply avoid it, but the interior visual of a home has a powerful and lasting effect and therefore needs to be treated as equal to what it represents…art, for it portrays not only the space of our living and being, but the being of our living space.
