The word beauty in today’s society brings certain images to mind (I think we all know what these are). These images aren’t just what all of us think the word beautiful means, however. These images are influenced by so many factors, especially the media and pop culture. There is a certain point up to where biological factors and genetic makeup also affect our definition of beauty. Symmetry has always been a characteristic people look for, along with other general traits that most people as a whole can agree on being attractive.
There’s a point, however, where even if a person doesn’t meet these guidelines or doesn’t possess these traits, they can still be beautiful to you. This is where biology stops and emotions/experiences begin to factor in more. Personally, the more I begin to like a person’s personality, the more attractive they will be to me. Although, I’m sure we all subconsciously do follow some of the standards that have been set in society. I don’t think beauty is necessary in humans, but an attraction is. (If that makes sense.)
In terms of art, I think emotions and the ability to connect to the artist’s emotions/experiences matters more than plain biology and what we chemically find attractive. This is where beauty is more about content than what is physically there. Art forms and styles are constantly changing and it is impossible to define any criteria for what is beautiful in art. There are also so many art forms (what would be beautiful in dance as opposed to a painting? You could never have one set definition across the board) that a demand for a certain kind of beauty would be irrational and honestly, would take the fun out of art. Beauty is where you find it and to each person, a certain piece of art can be beautiful or it cannot.
