The Concept of Art

Abstract

This chapter describes the concept of art. Richard Wollheim stated in Art and Its Objects that nothing is positive about art except that it is a concept. If, as Wollheim argues in Art and Its Objects, the concept of art is not innate but learned, then the successful acquisition of the concept depends upon certain experiences that the child undergoes, namely, those experienced in an art environment. The description of an activity involves concepts. The recognition of the adequacy of the teacher's understanding of the concept of art does not rest ultimately on his command of language in an artistic or aesthetic context but rather in the sort of existential commitments he exhibits in connection with the elements of works of art. It is obvious, that together with other considerations, for example, knowledge of child development and pedagogic methods, the teacher's concept of art regulates the type of activities, programs, and methods he Introduces or does not introduce into the classroom. Moreover, his understanding of the concept of art affects the type of criteria he chooses to assess the aesthetic development of his pupils.