Vision218

The purpose of Vision 218 is to create an identity and provide an atmosphere of community and commitment among serious-minded design students at El Camino College in Torrance, CA.

The club will help focus our talent and energy for the various projects we undertake, both on and off campus, and provide information regarding resources and printing services. It will also serve as a valuable career resource for future education and career advancement.

Anyone can browse this site, but you must be logged in if you would like to create content or comments. In order to obtain a user account you must be a member of Vision 218. Please contact us at contact [at] vision218.com if you need assistance.

What is Art?

by Walter Cox, adjunct El Camino College

Art is the creation of something that speaks to the viewer in a way that helps them experience something new. Almost anything can be considered a work of art, but the one overriding rule is that it must have been manipulated or organized by human consciousness to give it meaning. For example, a sunset or interesting rock is not art. They have been made by nature and man has had no influence over their forms. A painting of a sunset or an interesting rock in a Japanese garden are art because the actions of people either create them or put them into new contexts that communicate meanings or experiences beyond their original form or state.

Content is created through the actions of the artist and can be deliberate, implied or even unintentional. Artists usually have an idea or plan of what they want to express, and through the use of iconography (the symbolic meanings of signs and symbols) they can give their work meaning. Different cultures may have different interpretations of the symbols in a work of art, giving the different viewers different experiences of what they see.