Why and how should art be defined
broadly but critically? [2]
POPULAR FORMS

decoration

illustration

commercial products

MASTERPIECES

prophetic significance

historical value

social and moral value

innovative significance

The Extent to Which Object/Events Involve Us Aesthetically
One can imagine emerging from the "popular forms" end of the black line four "threads" also to be conceived as continua; these represent additional attributes that can be associated with some works of art. The first thread deals with innovation. Although all works of art elicit aesthetic responses, some are more provocative than others because they confront us with new and novel approaches to organizing media and expressing ideas. The degree to which an object that involves us in aesthetic experience is truly original in the way it is made or in terms of what it has to say would certainly add to its importance as a work of art.

Many of the works of Louise Nevelson (1899-1988), one of the most renowned and original sculptors of the 20th century, serve as examples of this innovative variable. Her "sculptural walls" - free standing vertical boxes filled with pieces of wood - are representative of her experiments with a variety of materials ranging from metals and enamels to Plexiglass and Lucite. The materials and wall-like structure of Nevelson’s monumental sculptures are reflective of architectural works, through which she creates visual metaphors related to urban and natural environments.
Louise Nevelson, 1899-1988
White, Vertical Water, 1972
Painted wood, 26 sections, 216 x 108 inches
Guggenheim Museum, New York

White Vertical Water evokes images of nature. The long undulating curves of the forms in the work's vertical box echo the cascading streams of a waterfall, while the free shape cutout layers in the upper-right squares imply squirming fish.

When a work distills the essence of the social forces of an era or depicts a specific event, or if a work lifts us morally or strengthens our faith, it acquires social and/or moral stature as well as aesthetic importance. This is represented by the second thread in the diagram. Conspicuous examples of such works are medieval Gothic cathedrals constructed in the middle-ages.
These images represent two views of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, completed in 1345 after 182 years of construction. Such extraordinary structures were built without benefit of either steam or electric power. Medieval cathedrals stand today as monuments to the skill, ingenuity and commitment of the hundreds of carefully trained workers who labored to build these magnificent structures.

It was during the middle ages that the Guild System emerged. Apprentices worked with master artisans and craftsmen until they acquired sufficient knowledge and skill to travel about the countryside (as Journeymen) seeking their own commissions, which would eventually be submitted for evaluation by the Masters for entry into their Guild. Only Masters were allowed to employ Apprentices. The guild system not only insured that works of the highest quality would be created, it also limited the numbers being allowed to enter the trades.

Such medieval structures were physical manifestations of prevailing beliefs in a literal, heavenly paradise which would be the ultimate reward for being a true believer and living morally and righteously. To this day, their soaring arches, shimmering stained glass and enormous scale provide a sense of exaltation for even the most casual visitor.