Art has always been an integral part of human culture, one characteristic defining humanity as a species. Throughout history, it has manifested itself in various forms, from such classical forms as painting or sculpture to modern postmodernity, the genre affiliation of which is sometimes difficult to establish. However, defining the very concept of art was a rather tricky philosophical task. Art is an irrational human creative activity, the purpose of which is to evoke emotions.
Emotionality is indeed one of the most fundamental characteristics of any art. One of the first historical pieces of evidence that can be attributed to the manifestation of creativity on the part of human ancestors is a pebble from Makapansgat. This archaeological find is a small natural rock aged 2.5-2.9 million years, resembling the rough outline of a human face (Straffon 410). One of the Australopithecus found this stone and carried it for miles (Straffon 410). There is no rational explanation for such an action: the pebble was not material for a tool and had no practical function. It evoked some emotions in the creature that found it, which indicates the appearance in him of the first inclinations for the concept of art.
Any object of art, in one way or another, transmits the emotions of the artist to the public. The degree of effectiveness of such transmission determines the quality of the art. Of course, technical performance plays an important role, but how strong feelings a particular object evokes are much more important. Success is achieved by those artists who can better convey feelings to the audience. Thus, art can be defined as the sublimation of emotions and their embodiment in a material object.
Work Cited
Straffon, Larissa Mendoza. “Evolution and the origins of visual art: an archaeological perspective.” Handbook of Evolutionary Research in Archaeology. Springer, Cham, 2019. 407-435.