What do you think of when you think of fine art? There is a recognized meaning to the phrase. But not everyone is aware of what it actually is. Many of us get so wrapped up in talking about it, and maybe debating general points that we never take the time to learn about the many facets that it entails.

For many people, fine art is a term that evokes images of great paintings that hang within the many museums of the world. While these masterpieces undoubtedly qualify, there is a little more to it than that. Aside from just great paintings, you may also consider things such as sculpture, dance, and theater. While many do also think of these in relation to the term, fewer consider that architecture and printmaking also have a rightful place there. In fact, these things are all traditional arts that for centuries have provided the very foundation of the term, "fine art" according to many different schools of thought.

Many aged, artistic pieces in these various disciplines are widely accepted into the fold. But there has been recent heated discussion about some newer works and their validity as fine art. These more modern creations are downright loathsome to the stuffy class of prig who insists on only referring to art with a capital "A." Things such as graffiti, for example. Technically, all this is, is a painting, and can be put into the same category as any other painting. But the fact that it is commonly considered to be nothing more than the act of a vandal causes it to be dismissed as legitimate fine art. But where is it written that a masterpiece must always be produced on a canvas?

If we define the term "fine art," it actually isn't suppose to speak of the caliber of the piece, but more to the purity of the discipline that we are looking at. Such things can be understood in different ways. Now, I would have to concede that graffiti isn't, strictly speaking, a pure discipline. This is a point that will come up over and over again as an argument against it joining the ranks of great works. But it does possess some of the qualities of other mediums that were also once excluded only to be considered to be completely legitimate works now.

The world of fine art can be an elitist one. It can exclude perfectly respectable works for a time. But things do change. How many of us remember a day when rock n roll was something evil? The devil's music created to corrupt our children. Now look at it. It's joined the ranks of classic genres of music. Just as these folks who paint their passions on street corners may one day find themselves to be respected members of the artsy upper crust.

As for the rest of us, my suggestion is to just keep your mind open. Take beauty and works that speak something to you where you find them. Maybe fine art is a personal thing.