Art. Lost between Food and Flora.

I look back over the last few months and note there have not been too many postings about Art; I have been much more focused on Food and Flora. I have decided it is time to change that trend.

Some would say that the fields of gardening and cooking, and their subsequent explorations, are art in their own right, and I would not argue with this statement. Growing and tending plants is not just about soil, sun and water; there is definitely an art to their cultivation. Cooking is similar to starting with a blank canvas, but instead of paints, I start with garlic, onions, olive oil, then combine them together, hoping to make something artfully delicious. 

The word 'art' has many definitions; I found sixteen in the dictionary. I happened to like the sixteenth best. It defined art as "science, learning and scholarship." That of course got me thinking about what do each of those words mean and what does that mean for a definition of 'art'?

• Science is a "knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation." (second definition out of seven)
• Learning is "to acquire knowledge, mastery or understanding by study or experience." (first definition out of three)
• And finally, scholarship is "learning or knowledge acquired by study." (first definition of four)

So what does all this mean?

Based on the definition of art being science, learning and scholarship I see the following results:

• Art is about knowledge
• Art involves observation and experimentation
• Art is about understanding a subject through experience (possibly observation or experimentation) 
• Art is about learning

I think the last part is the most important, ART IS ABOUT LEARNING.

Art is not just about the artist learning about the subject matter and mastering it. It is also about the artist helping others learn about their subject. It is about sharing knowledge and a unique point of view, based on observations and experiments.

If art is about knowledge and learning, and the learning is not just for the artist, but the audience as well, I think then, there are two additional statements that help shape my definition of art:

• Art is about teaching
• Art can change the world through the sharing of knowledge

Everyone practices art, whether painting or writing or acting or singing or cooking or gardening or sewing or crafting or speaking or something else entirely. The art that you practice is a way for you to interact with the world and share your mastery and your point of view.

How does your art change the world?

Definitions from Websters Dictionary.