Post Modern Art by Definition

Post Modern Art

By definition fine arts refer to the kind of visual arts that are created mainly for the purpose of satisfying aesthetic needs. They require a certain discipline, training and technique. The fact that they are not intended as utility purposes differences them from the craftwork or applied arts. Painting is one of the disciplines considered to be part of the elite of fine arts. The definition of painting is the art of applying color on a surface, usually following a drawing or mimetic image that represents one very specific picture. Because of this 'representative' nature of painting, many arguments have raised, since the appearance of abstract painting, about its eligibility to be considered 'fine art'.

The strongest argument is that painting is not the mere coloration of a drawing, but the expression of the artist's feelings and ability to handle the basic techniques of the painting. There is also the argument about how stylized an image is allowed to be in order to be considered 'figurative', since many distortions are allowed on a picture before it is judged as being completely abstract. Often, the human eye can make sense out of images by associating lines with familiar shapes. Likewise the most accurate portrait can be accused of being only a mere mixture of paint over the canvas, and it is the duty of the viewer to understand the meaning of that image and see it as a drawing.