Let’s start with some good old-fashioned dictionary definitions, shall we?
Beauty (noun): “A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.”
Art (noun): “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture.”
Simple, right? Not so fast. Over the last 250 years, these definitions have been twisted, stretched, and occasionally dressed in avant-garde duct tape.
In the 18th century, beauty was often defined by symmetry, proportion, and divine order. Think Greek statues and the sort of paintings where everyone looks mildly constipated but classically balanced. Art, meanwhile, was the realm of the elite — commissioned portraits, religious tableaux, and the occasional heroic horse.
By the 19th century, the Romantics came galloping in with wind-swept hair and emotional baggage, declaring that beauty was in the sublime — the awe of a storm, the melancholy of a crumbling ruin, or the haunting emptiness of your diary after Valentine’s Day.
The 20th century? All bets were off. Picasso rearranged faces like a Mr. Potato Head in a wind tunnel. Duchamp called a urinal “art” and the world said, “Wait… what?” Suddenly, art wasn’t just about beauty — it was about shock, statement, rebellion, and sometimes a banana duct-taped to a wall.
So, is art always beautiful? Not even close. Some art is intentionally grotesque. Some is confusing. Some is literally a blank canvas. (Looking at you, Malevich.) And some makes you say, “My toddler could’ve done that,” only to realize your toddler is now charging $30,000 per squiggle at an NFT auction.
Examples of art and beauty? Sure!
- Michelangelo’s David: art and beauty holding hands like a Renaissance power couple.
- Monet’s Water Lilies: beauty so soft it feels like visual chamomile tea.
- AI-generated image of a cat playing saxophone in a neon jungle: art, definitely; beauty… depends on how much you’ve had to drink.
And now for controversy — cue dramatic music — AI art. Is it art? Is it theft? Is it just really fast collage? Critics argue AI lacks intention, soul, and the ability to suffer for its craft. (Which is fair; no AI has ever cried over a rejected grant application.) Others say it democratizes creativity and makes art accessible to all, which is beautiful in its own right.
But how do we judge the quality of art? Is it the skill involved? The emotional impact? The market value? (Hint: If it costs more than your car, someone probably called it “important.”)
Ultimately, good art — beautiful or not — moves you. It sticks with you. It makes you feel something other than “meh.” Beauty is subjective, art is unpredictable, and both exist in a swirling galaxy of taste, culture, and highly confusing gallery labels.
And speaking of beauty…
Art Prompt:
A surrealist dreamscape inspired by Salvador Dalí, featuring a melting violin draped over a cracked marble plinth in a sunlit desert. The sky swirls with soft coral pinks and sapphire blues. Shadows stretch like liquid across the sand, while a single red rose blooms from the scroll of the violin, its petals edged with golden light. The mood is haunting and poetic, evoking time, memory, and loss.
Video Prompt:
Zoom slowly across a surreal desert as a violin melts over a sunlit plinth. Petals unfurl in slow motion from the blooming rose, while the shadows ebb and flow like waves on sand. The colors swirl, the light flickers gently — every frame layered in poetic motion to capture the melancholic beauty of forgotten time.
Recommended Songs:
- “Breathe Me” by Sia (moody and cinematic)
- “Experience” by Ludovico Einaudi (evokes emotion without needing words)
Want more beauty, more strangeness, more glorious nonsense like this? Follow me and drop your thoughts in the comments. Is art what you say it is, or is it just an algorithm’s fever dream? Debate welcome — bonus points for sass.
Check out the latest drop of actual art (yes, even the weird stuff) here:
https://www.redbubble.com/people/DaveLumAI/explore?page=1&sortOrder=recent