ART 104 Chapter 1: Art History 104 - Creativity in Art History
Document Summary
While the concept of creativity is of course important in art history, it is not a universal characteristic of the works that art historians research. All this could lead one to conclude that definitions of art are subjective and unstable, just like those of beauty. One solution to this dilemma is to propose that art is primarily distinguished by its visual agency, that is, its capacity to captivate viewers. Artifacts may be fascinating, but art has the potential to move us emotionally, mentally, or otherwise, i would say. By its visual characteristics (scale, structure, color, etc), expression of ideas, craftsmanship, ingenuity, rareness, or some combination of these or other qualities, it can do so. How art engages varies but art takes us beyond every day and ordinary experience in some way. The greatest examples attest to human ambition, skill, imagination, perception, and feeling extremes.
