Art is the result of expression
What is art in the modern day?
Throughout the timeline of humanity there is one constant. Humanity has learned and evolved and through that human expression has also evolved. This can be seen with the existence of cave drawings up to paintings in chapels. While these two examples range in complexity they are still examples of human expression and experience.
This sort of expression always serves some sort of purpose, whether to document one’s surroundings or perhaps to represent that peoples god or gods. The piece itself was shaped by the ideals of a people or peoples. If perhaps the cave system that was built by these ancient people were highly important to them it would makes sense that they would attempt to depict themselves and the animals that surround them. And similarly if church and different forms of religion were hugely important to these people then it would make sense for their to be intricate structures and paintings depicting their gods. If a certain way of life is important to a civilization or a people then we should see some representation of that in the forms of art left by those people.
This can even be seen in the modern day with the Stanley cup craze for example. That something like a cup, a resource used to ensure people get their proper intake of water, can turn into such a craze that there are now ways to decorate a cup. And some people have multiple of these cups that are also intended to reduce waste. This example speaks to a modern way people express themselves, that Americans live in a culture that is so deeply rooted in individualism that we can get lost in it. If everyone is different in the same ways then are we really different?
The Stanley cup craze is similar to some artistic movements where artists are creating pieces with similar theming, people with Stanley cups are creating and buying cups in order to both fit into social norms while still trying to be individualistic. The art of the Stanley cup is that it lets us see the lengths people will go to for social validation. That in itself is art. It shows the expression of a culture. Also the long lasting nature of the cups will most likely survive many generations.
Though this is different from individual expression. An example of this would be different forms of books and Tv. And while a tv show or book could reach insane levels of popularity that rival the Stanley cup ,a book or Tv show is usually the result of a few people. Or at least the initial idea is. It can’t define a person but much like the stanley cup, it can define a generation. This can also inspire others to create stories of their own. It allows for them to explore complicated topics and ideology and to show some parts of themselves. It’s one of the purest form of art. It can help people to rationalize complicated topics and to see themselves in spaces and worlds that are either impossible or out of their reach for various reasons.
Art can take many forms and can mean different things to different people. Art can either be very important to them and highly valued or not at all. And this can be seen with the rise of AI usage in relation to art. This usage can range from Ai use in books or Ai use with creating digital art. Now it’s important to point out that not all digital art is art created by AI.These non Ai pieces can be created through digital art programs that can mimic pencil and brush strokes. AI art on the other hand is art that is intended to mimic the art style of a creator or group of creators and is sometimes passed off as it’s own original work. A computer only knows what you tell it, it can’t really think for itself, so if you tell a computer program to create an image or a book it’s going to give you either complete nonsense or the work of someone else.
Humanity and the human body and the larger roles of civilization in human development are art because they exemplify unique ideas and forms. No two people are truly alike, this fact remains even at the molecular level with cross over of cells during meiosis ensures that the genetic information passed down through daughter cells are different. AI instead copies the information directly much like a human body cell.
The truly scary thing about art in the modern day is that with the debut and subsequent updates of A.I. software, we as a society are seeing a decrease in the value of artists in the corporate world. And it seems like the situation will only get worse as more A.I. softwares is being developed. Though thankfully there also seems to be more of a push to put some AI under scrutiny by legislation.
Art is a representation of humanity in different time periods to archive our experience as living beings. It’s a representation of how we see ourselves in the world and sometimes the greater universe. Sometimes we get to make our own realities through our art, like with TV shows and Books, or how we want to be perceived in real life as evidenced by the Stanley cup phase and other popular trends that people participate in in order to feel some connection to other people. A.I. is a bastardization of this experience, it can’t think outside of the ridged outlines given to it. And yet it’s use is still very prevalent with some people calling themselves A.I. artists and writers without ever creating a meaningful piece of art created by their own two hands. A.I. itself isn’t an example of art in modern times, the reaction to it is.
Art is supposed to elicit some sort of emotion. To some this is the only rule that art has.
References
Bellaiche, Lucas, Rohin Shahi, Martin Harry Turpin, Anya Ragnhildstveit, Shawn Sprockett, Nathaniel Barr, Alexander Christensen, and Paul Seli. “Humans versus AI: Whether and Why We Prefer Human-Created Compared to AI-Created Artwork – Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.” SpringerOpen, July 4, 2023. https://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-023-00499-6.
Lin-Fisher, Betty, and Bailey Schulz. “What Is so Special about Stanley Cups? The Psychology behind the Year’s Thirstiest Obsession.” USA Today, January 31, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/shopping/2024/01/13/stanley-cup-obsession-explained/72176008007/.
Schukei, Abby. “Digital vs. Traditional Art: Is One Better than the Other?” The Art of Education University, March 27, 2023. https://theartofeducation.edu/2019/05/digital-vs-traditional-art-is-one-better-than-the-other/.
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Counterintuitive Spring 2024 
Thanks for requesting Feedback, TPOT. I’m eager to get started.
But first, some business:
1. I made some style revisions already, to your Title and the word “References.” Please observe these changes and incorporate them into future essays.
2. MAKE NO CHANGES TO THIS POST YOURSELF.
3. WHY?
4. BECAUSE YOU’LL NEED A CLEAN FIRST DRAFT FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO.
5. INSTEAD . . .
6. Copy and paste the complete contents of this post into a new post you will call Definition Rewrite—ThatPersonOverThere.
7. Make all your revisions to the NEW POST.
8. At the end of the semester, you’ll put BOTH the original draft AND the rewrite into your Portfolio to demonstrate that you revised your work in response to feedback.
9. I’ll leave the first round of feedback here.
10. But all the rest of our business will take place on the Rewrite.
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OK, TPOT, I’ve read your argument, and I’m going to offer broad reactions to your work so far for the first round.
First, I notice that even though you have three sources in your References list, you haven’t cited any in your text. This is not the appropriate use of a References list. In the References list, you provide readers with the details they will need to consult the sources THAT YOU QUOTED OR CITED in your essay. If you don’t provide a quote, or summarize an article by name, the source has no business being in your References list. So, you’ll need to do some citation.
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Now, about your content. Can you clarify for me that your Hypothesis/Thesis is still something like: There is therapeutic value to the tactile experience of making art.
If so, I don’t understand how anything you have said here directly relates to the topic of making art at all. If you’re going to help readers understand the expressive value of moving our hands over a canvas with a brushful of paint, or the calming experience of shaping a mound of clay into a bowl, or even the aesthetic value of placing flowers into a visually pleasing arrangement, I don’t see how your discussion of collecting drink cups contributes to that overall argument in any way.
So, I’m really confused. You don’t need to define art the way you’re going about it. You would benefit, though, from discussing the psychological value of MAKING ART, which I believe is your goal.
Do we agree about that?
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Yes the hypothesis is still that. I just wanted to define what art is then go into how it could help someone with expressing their emotions in therapy then to see how art different methods of art could help those methods of expression in art therapy.
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Before I come off as an instructor who only criticizes, let me note what you HAVE outlined here and see if it matches, perhaps, your new approach to the VERY BROAD topic of art.
I’ll devote just one sentence to each of your paragraphs.
P1. Throughout the timeline of humanity
—Visual Art is a means of human expression.
P2. This sort of expression always serves some sort of purpose
—The art of any era gives us insight into what was important to people of that era.
P3. This can even be seen in the modern day
—The Stanley cup craze indicates that the mere ownership of a rare utilitarian object is what’s important to people of this era in American society.
P4. The Stanley cup craze is similar to some artistic movements
—For a few people, custom-decorating a commercial product is an artistic expression of the importance of being unique.
P5. Though this is different from individual expression.
—A book or TV series can express, much more richly than a drinking cup, the dreams and aspirations of an entire society.
P6. Art can take many forms v
—Instead of expressing the vision of an individual artist, Artificial Intelligence creates texts or images that synthesize all the recorded texts or images in its database, making its creations amalgams of what a whole society has produced.
P7. Humanity and the human body
—I’m sorry. This needs three sentences. Get rid of this whole paragraph unless you can make it make sense.
P8. The truly scary thing about art in the modern day v
—I guess this means that world culture is impoverished when it values the “composite art” produced by AI over the creations of individual artists.
P9. Art is a representation of humanity v
—Wow. You’ve clearly wandered OFF THE PLANET we started on. AI isn’t art and we are cheapened as a culture if we pretend that it is.
P10. Art is supposed to elicit some sort of emotion.
—Some people think Art’s only purpose is to elicit emotion.
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I liked your first Hypothesis much better, TPOT, but I won’t insist you stick with it. The whole point of a research paper is to follow the sources where they lead you. So, let’s do what we can with where we’re at.
As I see it, you’ve got a pretty bleak timeline here.
1. Historically, Art has been an expression of humanity’s deepest aspirations and concerns as a culture.
2. Lately, humanity’s deepest concern appears to be a vain attempt to express the primacy of the “individual” through the acquisition of cheap commercial products.
3. And finally, we are willing to sub-contract our expression of what matters to a computer program that puts all earlier work into a blender and serves us a smoothie.
Tell you what. If that’s your Hypothesis, I will do the best I can to help you prove it.
Are you in?
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Now. Technically. You need to break a very bad habit.
Here’s your paragraph with BOLD type where the impossibly vague pronouns are expected to stand for something, but we don’t know WHAT.
Though this is different from individual expression. An example of this would be different forms of books and Tv. And while a tv show or book could reach insane levels of popularity that rival the Stanley cup ,a book or Tv show is usually the result of a few people. Or at least the initial idea is. It can’t define a person but much like the Stanley cup, it can define a generation. This can also inspire others to create stories of their own. It allows for them to explore complicated topics and ideology and to show some parts of themselves. It’s one of the purest form of art. It can help people to rationalize complicated topics and to see themselves in spaces and worlds that are either impossible or out of their reach for various reasons.
If you can tell me what all those Its and Thises mean, then do so, in the text, where it matters. Without your help, I’ll remain totally lost.
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You’ve got the germ of a good idea here, TPOT.
Let’s get to work.
I spent about two hours on this feedback, which means you owe me at least two hours of work to revise it. Start with clarifying the Main Ideas of each of your paragraphs. Be sure no reader is in doubt about those. Get rid of those that don’t contribute to your overall hypothesis. And also get rid of sentences that don’t clarify your position. (There’s no place in 1000 words for “some people think this while other people think that.”) Say what you mean.
Provisionally graded. It’s not the grade you want. We can conference at any time.
Don’t forget. Make no changes to this post. Copy and paste it into your Def/Cat Rewrite. Make your revisions there. You’ll need evidence of where you started so you can brag about how far you went to get to your final draft. We can do this.
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Okay I will get that done by next Wednesday
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