Why Do People Think Art is Only Painting?

[Thaius]

Something I enjoy doing to waste free time is going onto Omegle and asking, using their new Spy Mode, whether video games are an art form. Omegle is a chat site that lets you text chat with a random stranger, no accounts or names or anything unless you mention it in the chat, and Spy Mode is when you ask a question for two random strangers to discuss.

I am surprised, however, how many people immediately start talking about art and video games as though the visual aspect is all that qualifies it as art. They talk about the graphics, or the visual design, but many people never mention things like story, atmosphere, or music. "Art" seems to be, in these people's minds, restricted to things like painting, drawing, and perhaps photography; visual design in general, I suppose. It's like they took art class in grade school and never graduated beyond that stunningly simple and incomplete vision of what the word "art" actually includes.

Whether you think video games are art or not, am I the only one who's kind of surprised that "art" is still limited to only a few particular art forms in some people's minds?

 

[TheBritishAreComing]

Due to people's ignorance in general, I'm disappointed, though not surprised, about people's limited view of art.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

Tried it twice, got 4 yes votes.

I agree that people have a short sighted view of art.

Damn art museums.

 

[Thaius]

Tried it twice, got 4 yes votes.

I agree that people have a short sighted view of art.

Damn art museums.

Yeah, it would seem that a lot of people say yes, but there are also a lot of people that sign off immediately, or often disconnect immediately after saying yes or no. The latter is particularly irritating to me.

I think the most entertaining reason why not I've heard is because "gaming is a waste of time if you do it professionally." Yeah. That makes perfect sense, not to mention really applies to whether or not games are art. Good job, random stranger.

 

[GigaHz]

If those people think Art is just limited to painting, they are probably too limited to appreciate art anyway.

 

[A Raging Emo]

If those people think Art is just limited to painting, they are probably too limited to appreciate art anyway.

Exactly my thoughts.

Art is not limited to visually pleasing aesthetics. I personally play a multitude of instruments, and believe that when myself and a few friends play together, what we create is art, assuming there is thought behind it.

 

[HardkorSB]

Something I enjoy doing to waste free time is going onto Omegle and asking, using their new Spy Mode, whether video games are an art form. Omegle is a chat site that lets you text chat with a random stranger, no accounts or names or anything unless you mention it in the chat, and Spy Mode is when you ask a question for two random strangers to discuss.

I am surprised, however, how many people immediately start talking about art and video games as though the visual aspect is all that qualifies it as art. They talk about the graphics, or the visual design, but many people never mention things like story, atmosphere, or music. "Art" seems to be, in these people's minds, restricted to things like painting, drawing, and perhaps photography; visual design in general, I suppose. It's like they took art class in grade school and never graduated beyond that stunningly simple and incomplete vision of what the word "art" actually includes.

Whether you think video games are art or not, am I the only one who's kind of surprised that "art" is still limited to only a few particular art forms in some people's minds?

Because things like books, paintings, sculptures, music etc. have been in society for thousands of years and things like movies and video games haven't.
Movies are more commonly perceived as art than games since they have been around for 6-7 generations (a wild guess since I didn't really bother to count it but accurate enough, I think so people have gotten accustomed to them.
The current gamers are really only the 2nd generation,maybe the 3rd, if you count the 10-11 year olds (I'm not counting the "Pong generation", just as I'm not including the "OMG a train is coming for us let's run out of the building!!!" generation of movie goers).

So yeah, it's just a matter of time.

 

[Terminate421]

Because people think all tall people play Basketball. (I have been asked that so many times I want to blow my brains out each time)

Its ignorance.

 

[SilentCom]

I don't think art is only painting, I actually much prefer music than painting most of the time.

 

[Seishisha]

To quote from wikipedia...

Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics, and even disciplines such as history and psychology analyze its relationship with humans and generations.

Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. This conception changed during the Romantic period, when art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science".[1] Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.

I did that largely because it gives a broad definition of what art is generaly considered to be, it in no place mentions video games but the context of the words pretty much describe anything as art so long as it was intentionaly trying to evoke a response, for example this thread could be considered art because it causes others to think about it and possibly effect there feelings towards the subject.

To get to the point though i think alot of times people consider art to be painting and little else is because its a very basic generalization of the concept, if you said to somone "art" they would probably reply "museum" or "gallery" because thats how alot of people associate art.

 

[Something Amyss]

I don't think I've ever come across someone who precludes music and writing as art. These, at the very least, seem to be included in the definition.

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

Tried it twice, got 4 yes votes.

I agree that people have a short sighted view of art.

Damn art museums.

Most at least have sculptures in addition to paintings. Kansas City's also has a photography section.

 

[Iron Lightning]

Something I enjoy doing to waste free time is going onto Omegle and asking, using their new Spy Mode, whether video games are an art form. Omegle is a chat site that lets you text chat with a random stranger, no accounts or names or anything unless you mention it in the chat, and Spy Mode is when you ask a question for two random strangers to discuss.

I am surprised, however, how many people immediately start talking about art and video games as though the visual aspect is all that qualifies it as art. They talk about the graphics, or the visual design, but many people never mention things like story, atmosphere, or music. "Art" seems to be, in these people's minds, restricted to things like painting, drawing, and perhaps photography; visual design in general, I suppose. It's like they took art class in grade school and never graduated beyond that stunningly simple and incomplete vision of what the word "art" actually includes.

Whether you think video games are art or not, am I the only one who's kind of surprised that "art" is still limited to only a few particular art forms in some people's minds?

Well, I think that visuals are just the first thing people think of when you say "art." What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say "art!"? It's probably a painting or something visual.

Did you ask them if they consider the non-visual parts of video games artistic?

 

[Thaius]

Well, I think that visuals are just the first thing people think of when you say "art." What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say "art!"? It's probably a painting or something visual.

Did you ask them if they consider the non-visual parts of video games artistic?

Unfortunately, Spy Mode does not allow any input on the part of the asker. And if I include that in the original question, it end up being two lines long, to which I often get a "tl;dr." Omegle is hardly the most intelligent place on the internet, but it's usually worth slogging through the idiots to get to a gem of a conversation. Unfortunately, that process is a lot more frustrating when most people immediately disconnect, so I try to phrase the question in a way that is easy to understand and short enough not to be daunting.

Spy Mode is just in beta, though, so perhaps the ability to add the occasional comment will be allowed later on.

Seriously, intelligent people should go to the site. Enough of us, and there might actually be some very interesting conversations we could have on it regularly.

 

[darkless]

I don't know but I'll tell you what isn't art, blotches of paint on canvas, stripes, squares or scrap metal someone has welded together into a slightly bigger piece of junk.

 

[shadow_Fox81]

they never thought about art is the simplest answer.

but they tend to be people who don't like "paintings" so art becaomes a definition for the stuff they don't like rather than an umbrella for all creative expression.

i blame Warhol by the way. In australia he's the first artist we learn about in highschool and he never has many fans among 13 year olds.

 

[ace_of_something]

Okay I'm from a part of the country where people are outnumbered by cows 5 to 1 and I've NEVER met anyone (who's actively) voiced an opinion saying that. At the very least they also recognize sculpture, dance, architecture, story, and photography. That's basic, If you actually converse with someone about it pretty much anyone will say those things are art.

I think claiming people don't recognize that is something people project onto 'ignorant' folks so they can feel smart or more cultured what have you.

The thing is art, no matter how you slice it, art comes down to opinion, so if they don't agree with you it doesn't mean they're wrong.

Would you call this art?

Those ignorant folks sure do.