Our very own Dr. Byron Edwards Director of Education wrote a fantastic article that was published in DESIGNER Magazine.

Art?
How do we define what our imaginations reflect?

Because I am at a college that offers two degrees in design, I was recently put “on-the-spot” and asked for a definition of design. I thought a moment and replied that “design is the art of visual communication.” The people around me, at this informal function, nodded their heads and seemed to accept my brief description. That is until one wit, with a mischievous grin, wondered aloud, “Ah, art. But what is art?”
I think that any college that teaches design today must be continually upgrading its curriculum. Sometimes these upgrades will be minor tweaks. Other times they will be reflected in the subtraction and addition of courses. Changes in computer technologies often require curriculum changes. Nonetheless, it is important, to maintain artistic integrity, that college instructors teach how to work in the new program rather than how the new program works. We should integrate technologies with the design possibilities that the technologies present. This way, we allow designers to creatively express themselves. Is that expression not art?
There are literally hundreds of definitions of art. (Simply google “art quotes” and you’ll see what I mean.) And all of them may be correct. Some of them may apply more to fine art than commercial art but there is enough common ground to justify the statement that descriptions of art are applicable to all art. Art is, I think, a reflection of one’s imagination. What Art does, however, may require a more extensive explanation. For instance, Picasso said art washes the dust of daily life from our souls. John Updike said art allows the human spirit breathing room. Art may touch one’s spirit. But we also have to recognize that it may not. That will depend upon the individual viewing the art.
And, of course, artists have different levels of abilities and accomplishments. Their works are also appreciated at different levels. A painting, hanging in a museum, may be greatly admired by one person. The next person to view the painting may find it to be without merit. Both viewers bring their own experiences to the viewing. And both, from their own perspectives, are correct in their assessments.
I remember encountering a young man who had just visited Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, Maine. If you have not visited Acadia, you should know that it is easily considered one of America’s most beautiful national parks. The combination of mountains, forests and ocean is thought to be a magnificent demonstration of Mother Nature’s best work. However, this young man expressed his disgust with the park and stated that it was “just a pile of rocks.” How do you explain art to someone who is unable to appreciate it? I have heard people say that photography is not art. But even with a digital camera, a photographer today may filter his lenses, adjust his f-stops and speeds, artificially light his subject and, using his computer, manipulate his final images. Is this not art?
An author of a novel is an artist. But so are the actors and actresses who interpret that novel on the stage or in a film. A composer of a piece of music is an artist. But so is the person who interprets it through instrument or voice. Artists exist throughout our society. Designers, photographers, illustrators, sculptors and many others are all artists. Anyone who can turn their imagination into something real is an artist.
Perhaps Oscar Wilde was correct when he said that God and other artists were always a little obscure. Sometimes a work of art is so simple – so pure – that we may not immediately recognize it as a work of genius. A sunrise at the ocean; an autumn sunset in the mountains; the Mona Lisa; the David; Lost Horizon; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and many other works of art have all, at one time, been recognized as works of genius. Others cannot appreciate the beauty of such works of art nor the talent and inspiration that created such works.
What a shame it would be to go through life without being able to appreciate art. And yet, there are many who do. The next time you see a poster announcing an upcoming event, remember that a photographer or illustrator may have produced an image for that poster. The designer chose a specific font, specific colors and created a style – all to present the information on the poster in a visual manner. The poster itself is a work of art. Enjoy it and appreciate the talents that went into creating it.

© Dr. Byron Edwards 2010