“But is it Art?” By Cynthia Freeland

At the present, the contemporary society has offered many and different forms and characteristics of exemplification and abstraction of the humanistic aspect of the society in the form of what is generally known as art. The said manifestations of the artistic nature of the people is viewed by many to be of no value as they do not coincide or agree with the principal guidelines of artistic consideration. On the other hand, other groups in the society claim the other way around.

This difference in the interpretation and view regarding the artistic value of the emotional and concrete manifestations of the abstracted values of the people produces conflict of opinions in the art aspect of the humanity. In this spectacle of social ambiguity that the book of Cynthia Freeland entitled “But is it Art” appeals most. The book by Freeland generally perceives the contemporary artistic manifestations to be examples of the modern artistic vision of the society as related with their new norms and social values.

By exemplifying and analyzing different art forms in the modern society, Freeland claims that the modern manifestations of the humanistic aspect of the society is still considerably within the principles of artwork and are all appreciable in their own aspects. By also considering the different changes and advancement in the social development, she also claims that principles of the old art forms has not yet excluded by the present society but instead it became more vivid and artistic with the expansion beyond the past boundaries.
The book of Freeland considers different aspects of the present art form in relation to the dominant social values and cultures each discussed sufficiently and intrinsically in the book. By this analysis and with incorporation of different ideas from other art critic, Freeland has developed a concept in her book describing the present mediums and manifestations of the humanistic aspect of the present society to be within the classification of art in their own definition of artistic representation and expression.