Summary Of Sport And Art By Heather L. Reid

In Heather L. Reid’s chapter entitled, “Sport and Art,” she discusses similarities between the two disciplines and whether sport can be considered art. She considers such similarities as having a moral dimension, an aesthetic value, a shared ancestry with play, an educational benefit, and being autotelic. However, I believe that all of those requirements are too limiting when trying to classify sport as art. Especially when it comes to morality. Reid gives the boxing example of a boxer intentionally losing to win a gamble and concludes, “Morality does have an effect on aesthetic value—in sport as well as art” (Reid, 77). When morality is taken out of the picture, the boxing match can be viewed as aesthetic just based on the moves and plays performed and not the underlying motives. To me, that better characterizes sport as art because when it comes to fine art, viewers in museums do not know the motive behind the artist, so they are not as easily judged for morals. Therefore, I will simplify the requirements for something to be considered art because art should just be determined based on its outside appearance, and added my own requirement of creativity because whether fine art or applied art, such as architecture, is examined, all seem to have an original …show more content…
She claims, “Particular sporting performances, even entire games or seasons, gain aesthetic value from the manner of their execution, their dramatic and historical context, and even the symbolic value projected on to them by spectators” (Reid, 75). Focusing on the notion of “the manner of execution,” gives sport the criteria of having a creative part. For example, not all hockey players will execute plays the same way; decisions made on the players’ parts make each game unique. Patrick Kane will often execute a “spin-o-rama” move, leaving the spectators in awe with his ingenuity. How can that not be considered