Philosophy
Defining Art Across Cultures: The Philosophy of Art
Quick fact
The Western concept of 'art for art's sake' is a modern and somewhat rare idea; many non-Western traditions, such as the Yoruba people in Nigeria, do not separate art from craft, ritual, or everyday life, using a single word (like 'ona') for both sculpture and craft.
Why this is interesting
Everyone knows what art is—until you look at a 300-year-old African mask in a museum. Was it art when it was made, or only when it crossed into a Western gallery?