“My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.”

<B>John Lennon</B>

Although there is universal agreement on the importance of art in a world which needs to balance the tyranny of materialism, yet, there is little consensus on what art actually is or what constitutes a work of art. One of the reasons why it is so difficult to define art is because art is not an entity. In fact, anything that communicates an idea, be it visual, musical, physical or other can be a work of art.

It would be futile to philosophize endlessly on the definition of art and obliterate some basic truth that lead more directly to the heart of the matter. For instance, art can be appreciated by all human beings. We need no special knowledge or sensory apparatus or experience to respond to a rythm, a tune, a series of bright colors, a monumental building, or a parade. We can all be thrilled and soothed by art. This leads to another truism, namely what makes a work of art has something to do with the viewer. A lot of art today tends to forget about that. It is not always up to the artists or the critics or the dealers to determine what a work of art is or should be. It is also up to the viewer. So in this respect, art can be anything and is completely subjective. For those who want beauty, art can be that. For those who want philosophy, art can be that.

Writing in the spring of 1819, the famous English poet John Keats said of the Grecian Urn, When old age shall this generation waste

Thou shall remain, in the midst of other woe

Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st

Beauty is truth, and truth beauty –

The poet is here referring to the notion of ‘artistic truth’ as opposed to ‘scientific truth’ that can be judged by some specific criteria. As a matter of fact, in the artistic realm, imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited while imagination encircles the world. One needs not go to an art gallery or the theatre to actually see works of art. It can be experienced in our natural environment. The arrangements of rocks, plants and water in the construction and maintenance of gardens like in Japan can constitute great works, having the potential to sublimate the imagination.

In our so called knowledge-based, scientific societies, art is too often used to subjugate, subvert and convert while it should have the mission of taking us back to childhood and teaching us to see with the eye of the imagination. Art would thus assail our perspective of the world, forcing re-evaluation of our personal values and perceptions. Many conflicts could thus be avoided or solved artistically, leaving behind a wonderful by-product – beauty.