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How does Adams define art? Do you agree with his definition?
In defining art, Adams first refers to Encyclopedia Britannica’s definition of art, as it claims there are many different types of art. Continuing with this definition, Adams breaks art into different types including:
-Literary Arts: writing and drama- categorized by presence of the narrative (includes film and television) and object/method
- Fine Arts: sculpture, painting, music and dance
- Decorative Arts: wallpaper, fabrics and furnishings
- Architecture/Industrial Design
In his definition, Adams clarifies that “the boundaries between art and non-art are not hard and fast; there is a gray area” (Adams, 255).
Adams continues to explain that art must:
- Contain content
- Have an aesthetic
- Have ideas
- Make you feel things
- Not formulaic
Although I am not really experienced in art, I have to agree with Adam’s definition of the word. Nowadays people have different experiences and beliefs and are all so unique that art to one person may be trash to another. Having one concrete definition of art would be very limiting, as it would restrict new or even old things/pieces to be considered as art. In addition, this wide/vague definition of art allows different people and cultures to have different opinions of art. If the world was going to define art according to one culture, the art of art would be lost. Adam’s definition of art gives artists/regular people the opportunity to create any type of art. Since art gives artists and regular people the freedom to express oneself, an open definition of art allows for the freedom of expression through art.
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According to Adams, what is needed for videogames to be considered as art?
According to Adams, a videogame must fulfill 7 criteria points.
1. The videogame must look beyond ‘fun and games.’
a. Adams uses adults and theme parks to explain this point; he argues that adults don’t usually spend time at theme parks and aren’t really entertained by the usual emotions of ‘funny’ or horror’ so for a videogame to be considered an art, the videogame must go further than just creating entertainment or a good laugh.
2. The videogame needs an aesthetic.
a. Adams explains that for a videogame to be considered an art, it must be ‘harmonious,’ or become like a second-nature. Adams asks the questions: “Is it smooth, easy and natural?” of videogames in considering them as an art.
3. The videogame developers must experiment.
a. Adams argues that creators cannot just stick with things they know- they must try new mediums, challenge themselves as well as the player/viewer. By doing this, developers have the opportunity to change the way we look at videogames.
4. The videogame must challenge the player.
a. Adams states “Great art challenges the viewer. It demands the viewer to grow, expand his or her mind, see things they have never seen before, think things they have not thought before”(261). For videogames to be considered an art, they must also challenge the viewer to grow and develop in unexpected ways.
5. The videogame awards’ must change.
a. Adams argues that the current awards for videogames are about craft and not art and that they should be switched; “Game awards must honor aesthetic content, not merely technological prowess” (262).
6. The videogame must have critics, not just reviewers.
a. Adams argues that currently, videogames have no critics, and to be considered an art, videogames must have critics. “Real critics bring to their profession not just a knowledge of the medium they are discussing, but wide reading and an understanding of aesthetics and the human condition. An art form requires not just reviewers that can compare with one work with another, but critics who can discuss the meaning of a game in a larger context” (262).
7. The videogame requires and artist.
a. Adam claims that the artists’ name must be ‘household names’ and known around the world; “For games to be taken seriously as an art form, the people who make them must receive adequate public recognition” (264).
Source: "Will Computer Games Ever Be a Legitimate Art Form?" Ernest W. Adams. pg. 255-264.
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