What is art? Can it even be defined? And, if so, how?

For example, on what philosophical basis is the presentation of a shark preserved in formaldehyde considered a work of art, as in the case of artist Damien Hirst? Perhaps you’ve been curious each time a new art form emerges, and is included under the broad umbrella term of “art.”

This is one of the central philosophical issues examined in a series of classes to be offered next month at Upstairs Artspace by Dr. Deborah Fitzgerald.

Beginning Oct. 7, “Philosophy of Art” is a six-session course, taught one night per week, that will explore the bases on which a work can be considered art, and to explore questions pertaining to the relationship between art and ethics – including censorship and its historical justifications – as well as examining the aesthetic experience, and how it may differ from all other experiences.