What is Art?

[Joshawott 7]

This is a short essay I wrote for my AP art history class answering the question, "What is art?"

I think it came out pretty well for something that a lot of came off the top of my head. I guess with that in mind, this is more of a draft than anything.

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Art is first and foremost the highest form of creative self-expression. It is a way to convey one’s emotions and thoughts with using the least amount of words. Most importantly, it is a way artists can get the public to think in a greater scope.

When words or actions were not sufficient enough, people have turned to art. Whatever the medium used may have been—painting, sculpture or architecture—humans have used art as a way to express themselves since the beginning of time.

Works of art, especially during the 20th century, are a prime example of art used for this reason. Artists were one of the many people who showed resistance to change amidst the some of the most radical eras of the 1900s: World Wars I and II, the 1960s counterculture movement and the Cold War from the 50s to the late 80s. One could argue that there simply was no other way to express their disillusionment than through art.

At the mention of the word “art