What IS ART?

[Nate]

The best games-as-art arguments are games that have managed to find those things that videogames can do to convey something uniquely.

This is why Deadly Premonition is a good example of art.

This is why Braid is a bad example of art.

Yeah, I know everyone brings up Braid in the games as art argument and I'm honestly not sure why. The game was a lot of fun, was pretty, and had great music. Which is fine! But it didn't do anything unique in its story. In fact, the story could easily have been told as a short story...which is pretty much what they did, by having the story just be text blocks before the worlds.

Deadly Premonition on the other hand, did something unique with its premise. It couldn't be done as a movie or even a TV series (despite it being a huge love letter to Twin Peaks). The story was uniquely designed to require character interaction throughout, such as York's monologues while he was driving to his destinations, something that wouldn't have worked well in non-game form. Near the end of the game as well, there's a huge choice that is up to the player, something that could never have translated to the area of film.

So yeah, really wish Braid would stop getting brought up in these discussions. I didn't really feel anything while playing Braid except "Wow this puzzle is hard" or "This music is awesome" or "How do I do THAT?" Deadly Premonition on the other hand, even though I didn't play it (I watched both of the Giant Bomb Endurance Runs of it), managed to make me feel actual emotions and interest at the town and what was going to happen. It's unreal.

To put it another way, the only time I've ever felt as much for video game characters as I do for Deadly Premonition is Persona 4. And that's from watching an Endurance Run where the players didn't even do all the side-missions that flesh out the characters even further.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Actually, not that I had braid in mind when I wrote it, but I left the idea of using the uniqueness of gaming to tell a story explicitly out of my statement for a reason. Hehe. It's good for that, but games can be used to do other things as art as well. Braid's story was, admittedly, weak; Although an argument can be made for how the timetravel elements were supposed to say something symbolic about Tim's journey. If that's the case, it's far too artsy fartsy (emphasis on the latter) for me to want to tackle at any length at the moment.

[Dante]

Art is an act of creative expression through visual media that invokes emotion in the observer.

[Nate]

It doesn't have to be visual. Music is art too. Cooking is also art.

[KagayakiWashi]

"Art is making something out of nothing and selling it." - Frank Zappa

[violet rose]

Indeed, this is a great topic and after reading everything I have come to agree with pretty much all of it in a way. I mean, in my head, there are so many different ways to view and define art, that "THERE IS NO ANSWER" indeed. Well put CK >w< but yes, a very interesting topic indeed.

[Htom Sirveaux]

"It's —ing ART, that's what it —ing is!"

[ST. Attidude]

Since most things (if not everything) is Art, I would think that one of the qualities that all forms of art share is that it would be of something that stands out in an instant as well as something that makes you think for a while.

[Dante]

It doesn't have to be visual. Music is art too. Cooking is also art.

I would somewhat disagree as I am of the opinion that when one one says that "music is an art", or "cooking is an art", that one is essentially doing the same thing as to say "revenge is an art", that is, it is using the presence of creativity in each to suggest that there is an analogy between the two. However, to say that revenge is a part of art seems somewhat odd and the same can be said of these other forms of creativity. Music is music. Art is art. But then, that is more of a personal opinion that I am merely holding at the moment- most likely because I despise being wrong and what I'll do to prove myself right... now that's an art.

[Fish and Chips]

I would somewhat disagree as I am of the opinion that when one one says that "music is an art", or "cooking is an art", that one is essentially doing the same thing as to say "revenge is an art", that is, it is using the presence of creativity in each to suggest that there is an analogy between the two.

[color="YellowGreen"]>He thinks art and creativity are unrelated.
[/color]

[goldenspines]

I would somewhat disagree as I am of the opinion that when one one says that "music is an art", or "cooking is an art", that one is essentially doing the same thing as to say "revenge is an art", that is, it is using the presence of creativity in each to suggest that there is an analogy between the two. However, to say that revenge is a part of art seems somewhat odd and the same can be said of these other forms of creativity. Music is music. Art is art. But then, that is more of a personal opinion that I am merely holding at the moment- most likely because I despise being wrong and what I'll do to prove myself right... now that's an art.

Revenge is an art though. It forces a person to think, plan, and create (unless they suck at revenge >_>). That doesn't mean it's good though. Not all art is "good" (as I believe I have mentioned before in my post XD) or even helpful to society. But it's still art.

[steenajack]

Actually, my teacher has been teaching the class something interesting. He says that just being able to draw doesn't make you an artist, anymore than putting on a bandaid makes you a doctor.

I think art takes time, heart, and soul. You don't just draw a quick sketch, you put effort and love into it. You could draw a beautiful picture, but not put your heart into it. What makes art beautiful is the soul and caring work you place into it. Then it means something.

[KagayakiWashi]

Art is the finished product of an idea that began in one's imagination and has purpose.
Successful art achieves the artist's intent, unsuccessful art is the finished product that does not achieve what the artist wanted it to achieve.
"Good art" and "bad art" are both relative terms, left to the consumer's taste, past experience, and other unknown factors.
.....at least, that's what I think.
And music is, in my opinion, the highest form of art. But that's just me and my own tastes.
Art, she said.