infographics

After much Deep Thought about the nature and meaning of Art thenewcornpoppy came up with the following explanation.

There are those who say that everything we do is art.  No, everything we do is life.  Some people may think harder about everything they do and do their best to live their life in an artful way.  David Byrne as an art student proposed a conceptual piece whereby he would live his life as a computer programmer and only he would know that in fact he was a conceptual artist playing the part of a computer programme in a lifetime long piece of performance art. It is possible that David Byrne is a conceptual artist performing a lifetime piece in the character of a dilettante rock star, author, cyclist and Friend of Eno.   But no, I don't buy into everything we do is art.

There needs to be some technique, some talent.  And there needs to be some inspiration, some ideas.  Art has to say something.  (Just to be clear, David Byrne says a lot.)

Therefore,  Art = technique and ideas or talent and inspiration.  a = t and i.  But that isn't all.  There is a difference between a finely crafted chair, blanket or car and something that is a piece of art.  The crucial difference is utility.  Art must be useless.   Art = Talent x Inspiration divided by Utility

I've been burned more than once by a slickly rendered diagram   

Introduction to The Best American Infographics 2013, David Byrne, 2013