Art is commonly considered a beautiful painting or sculpture in a gallery for public view. However, not all art fit into the perfect mold of what we imagine. Marcel Duchamp used a urinal to create his artwork "Fountain, with the words "R. Mutt 1917" inscribed (Jacobus and Martin 372). Is Duchamp’s "Fountain" any less art than da Vinci 's "Mona Lisa"? Investigating the composition of art and looking at alternative arts may aid in understanding.
To be considered art certain rules are used while evaluating a piece, these are form, content and participation. Artistic form explains how all of the elements unify to form the piece of art. The trees, grass, and creek create a backdrop of a painting for a couple taking a walk in the foreground. To consider something art it should have a high degree of unity, all the elements working together …show more content…
Both art from the Dada movement and abstract art are considered unconventional, straying from the stated norm of society’s interpretation of art. Mary Jane explains dada is “the appropriated images that counted…and not the way in which paint was put on the canvas”(). The art of abstract is contained in the form, not the subject matter. They are in opposition to each other in method, but unified in trying to be understood. All the concepts work together to help us in decide if a piece is art, and through artistic form, content, and participation, we can discern with a more educated outlook as we survey a composition. Ultimately, participation and individual preference aid in the art decision of a piece. If a work draws you in losing yourself, I would consider it art whether it be a urinal with words, or rectangles painted on a canvas. In conclusion, every individual has their own perception regarding what may or may not be considered art and every perception should be