Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century

For most of us, “art” is what appears on walls, in sculpture gardens, on film or video or in installations. But for the artists themselves, art begins long before these artifacts take final form. For them, art is a process that involves observation, description, analysis, and synthesis. Art is about making ideas, concepts and visions into something tangible or visible, something to be experienced. Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century captures the exciting creative processes that precede the making. In segments dealing with “romance” or “protest,” for example, we watch as artists describe their own thinking, their approaches to understanding those words. We see how thoughts are given form and marvel as materials are manipulated and modified. We watch works of art emerge. And we learn that common words can—and should—inspire works that trouble meaning and conventional wisdom. For making “art” more knowable and familiar, yet more individualized, more distinctive, and more personal, Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century receives a Peabody Award.