What is art?

What is art? Every one of my advanced level class in collage stared with this question from the professor. And a round robin of bubbling answers wold fallow from the class. We might argue a little, say art is the definition of space and form as it imposed it self on the world. Or Art is an artist interpretation of the world around her. (Yeas I am so bold of a feminist to use her) There would never be a definitive answer. We live in a post modern world, art is or can be any thing, or nothing. I graduated in May of 2002. I guess the new art movement is post 9/11.
I would stumble around this question. I believe it is the same as, who is god? Or what is the meaning of life? The answer in only the answer to who is answering it, and everyone wants a answer.
My four year old told me the other day.. “Mommy you are and artist because you sew pretty things on your sewing machine.” It made my hart smile
I am an artist, one who used to wild a torch and hammer on steal, than turned mother. I have not picked up a torch in 7 years. But do I look at the world any differently? Well of course I do, no one should live seven years with out changing a perspective or two. That would be sad.
I am an artist because I approach the world in a way that interprets it, and spits some thing back out. I wield cloth and cake batter now instead of bronze or steal. I experiment on dinner, birthday cakes, my kids (for better or worse) to see what will happen. I live in constant cayuse, and love it. I experiences the place and space I call home, and learn from it.
What is art?
Art is what is left, once someone has lived, and not just breathed. Art can be felting or as lasting as stone. (By the way the Greek bronze would still be hear had the Romans not melted them down, inferior Romans, made there statues out of marble, it cracks, and is pores, bad for a peninsula where it rains)
I may be draw three pitchers on quality paper a year. Last year I can think of two. I am pretty critical of the fact that I am not “in the art world” so to speak. I stared a juried art show three years ago, that has yet to decline a piece because it get so little work.
So what is art? I am one of throws people who still believes art is beautiful. But it does not have to be refined. It can and offend is sad. Art can make a statement, about the world, or just it's self. Thank you Mr. Polick.
Yet when I sit down in my studio, and let all the random things around me come together in to some shape. Siting there in the sunshine with no interruptions, I tap in to the god with in, and out comes something new, the world has not seen. And my four year old, call it art. So maybe I am an artist?