Not anything we see is art. For something to be art, it needs to follow aesthetic principles. This does not necessarily mean that something has to be "beautiful," as this term is highly subjective but it means that it needs to "appeal to sensuous perception" (Oxford English Dictionary Online n.p.). Moreover, "aesthetics" refers to an organizing principle that communicates a certain idea or notion. Accordingly, only such objects and artifacts should be considered art that convey an idea or notion.
This idea can be abstract or even unintelligible or open to interpretation. It can be a cultural reference or trope, or, as common in postmodern art, a citation, a pastiche, collage, or re-negotiation of earlier artworks or ideas. The important aspect is that art is created with the intention of trying to negotiate a sentiment or idea. German artist Joseph Beuys's work has frequently been criticized as testing the boundaries between art and ordinary objects that do not constitute art. However, despite the absurdity of some of his artworks (e.g. "The Fat Chair"), Beuys has conveyed ideas and negotiated, for example, his own autobiography through the artworks he created.
Lastly, art fulfills an important cultural function in that it negotiates cultural and political sentiments, tests and negotiates limits and can be a vehicle of political and social criticism.
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