[Happy Man]

Once it's on the "canvas"....or as soon as it's in your head?

[Awetopsy]

when someone else sees it.

[aquamire]

When someone else sees it doesnt quite make sense.. I can unzip my pants and say, hey, look at that, its a peice of art, as long as I'm on a crowded subway where people can see.

I think something becomes art when you've put true devotion and passion into it. Your not just dinking around throwing paint on a canvas with little effort, or drawing falaces on the Virgin Mary for shock factor.

Any idiot can do that. What comes to mind when I think of art is much training, not of dexterity with a brush, but training of the humans mind, to the point where one can evoke emotion with mastery in a few short brush strokes. They cant be random brush strokes, but must be strokes with volumes of understanding behind them.

Thats when something becomes art in my mind.. art should be an extension of the human. So I guess by that definition, you can smear elephant crap on a canvas and call it art, but it only reflects the artist and says little for their intellect.

[FatPenguin]

when it is sold as such

[Poprocksz]

if you don't know.....you aren't an artist.

[Ahcri]

I think you'll have to be able to tell what it is. For example, if you paint a picture of an elf, you can simply say "it's an elf". But if you choose to present an abstract concept, you'll have to explain what it is and it has to be a valid explaination. It's like writing a paper, you'll have to have proper references (in this case, your own references).

[roundeye]

i hate you happy man!
if you don't know.....you aren't an artfag.