A2 Coursework 'Is It Art?'

For my A2 level art Coursework entitled "Is It Art?" I conducted an individual investigation aiming to decipher what defines 'art'. I created a title page for this project which incorporated imagery from a number of artists that I explored in the project. These artists create work using different media, including sculpture, architecture, pottery and painting, and are all from different time periods and different cultures.  My first response into my investigation was a piece in which  I wanted to challenge the idea of the functionality of art. This is because many people would argue that art should only have a primary function, to be 'art', and as such 'craft' should not be treated as equal. Inspired by the artists Grayson Perry, I decided to create a vase which is traditionally labelled as 'craft', due to is having an ulterior function as a vessel. Through this I then explored the idea of an object loosing its functionality, by cutting holes and windows into it, thus making it no longer functional as a vase. I created this piece by creating a vase shape from wire, then building up layers of newspaper until I achieved a sturdy shape. The images on the surface were inspired by a previous exploration into societal factors altering what is considered 'art', I chose to incorporate images and incidents that are relevant to the shaping of the society that I have grown up in, including McDonalds, the government coalition, the X-Factor and 9/11. Hidden beneath these images are a number of photographs of me as I age and change.