Art Life connection revisited

I guess that it's going to take me a little longer to get that full
argument articulated...

To address Tiara's questions:
>Do art and life have a connection?
Yes. The obvious answer for which is that by my definition of art, it
is created by living people.

In addition, it is a living process. By this, I mean that it is a
labour practiced daily whether in creating new art, thinking about
art, relating about art or whatever - but growing/changing/evolving
constantly. In this it is a living creature.

In addition, and again by this small-picture definition of art, the
labour of art is intrinsically linked to the individual who has made
it their concern. The two grow and change symbiotically. Art can
thus not suvive without the artist - and neither can the artist be an
artist without their art.

Many artists interacting with their communities/with each other/with
their craft make up the arts. However, unlike a hive of independant
art-creatures, I believe that by virtue of overlapping tendrils - by
virtue of the artists' interaction outside of the self, the arts is
granted life integrated with the artists. Quite the arts-life
connection.

And here a small distinction must be drawn. Can an individual create
their work to the exclusion of any interaction with the outside world
in its process? I suppose so. Would I still call them an artist? A
tough question. Would they be involved in the arts. No. Their
isolation excludes them...

And to further answer Tiara's questions:
>Art is connected to life as all things are. It is, in fact an
expression of life and all the drama, trauma, joy, thought and
frustration that human beings experience in living. This expression is
not restricted to art but can also be seen in craft, stories, music
and many other expressions.

Their are many expressions that by my definition would fit into the
world of the arts. Indeed, I don't believe that art as life need
necessarily relate to the emotions of human life. However, I do make
a distinction at craft, as I define it. Works created in following
some pat plan or to fulfill the wants/designs of another need not be
"alive". It needs simply to fit some bill - to fulfill a material
need/want. Does this mean that craft cannot come to artistic life?
Certainly not.

As for the germination of an artistic life - and at which point it is
life... this may well lead us somewhere long and drawn out. But not
yet.

That's all for today!