Art as an Area of Knowledge

Title: Art as an Area of Knowledge
Date: 28 November 2011
Class: Theory of Knowledge
Category: In Class

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            Art is an area of knowledge. However, to what extent is this claim and commonly accepted truth, valid? How do we justify art as being an area of knowledge? [Knowledge Issues] In our society, art is seen everywhere of different quality, style and use. Some may consider their antique dinner table as being an artwork, being that it was carved with the upmost precision and care. Others however, may view this as simply being a piece of furniture. How do people decide what should be considered as art? Who has a say in this? Does art favor those who have a reputation? By this I mean to ask, would Picasso’s doodle be considered as art just because it was drawn by Picasso? Would a street artist receive the same acknowledgement? [Knowledge Issues/ Wondering]  I guess that this will not be the case. Why is it that people give more merit to the works of artists who has attained a reputation? Who decides which artist is worthy of a reputation as an artist? Is one success enough to make the following works of art valuable? How is “success” determined? I personally feel that the monetary value of the work reflects the artist’s work. However, other knowledge issues and wondering arises from this perspective. Who places a price on the work and do the artists always agree? Does it even matter? How are the prices chosen? If one exhibition sells a work for $10 and another sells the same work for $200, does it mean that the second exhibition board values the work more? Or is it simply their way of hoping to raise profit?

This question can be linked with ethics as an area of knowledge. [Connection to ethics as an AOK] A person may buy the work of art simply because they can, not necessarily because the artwork speaks to him/her. For this person, the collection of art may be a way to show off his/her wealth. If this person went to the first exhibition mentioned in the example above, would this person buy the art piece, given that it’s only worth $10? Would this person buy the art piece in the second exhibition then, at a higher price? Is it fair to make judgments for other people about what they should value? Is it fair to price highly on someone else’s work in order to raise more profit, even if the artist may disagree? How do we decide?[Knowledge Issues/Wondering]