In his article 'What is art?' (1897), Tolstoy states that art is not the mere expression of beauty or emotion; it does not provide any pleasure nor is this its sole purpose. Art is not an opportunity for catharsis or an activity to occupy the minds of inactive beings. Instead "art is a human activity which consists in the fact that one consciously transmits, by means of certain external signs, to others the feelings he has experienced and that others, infected by these feelings, also experience them" (Tolstoy). In essence, the concept of art is an artist's representation of morality based on experience. Tolstoy's essay on art sparked a strong public reaction because it openly criticized some of the world's most famous artists and completely questioned common beliefs about art. In this essay Tolstoy's definition is analyzed through an empirical lens in an attempt to expose the inconsistency of Tolstoy's definition of art. A necessary condition is one that must be satisfied before the concept in question is achieved. Basically, the necessary conditions of x must be fully satisfied for x to be achieved. For example, to receive course credit at the University of Victoria, a student must write and pass the final exam. Even if all other conditions are met, the course cannot be passed without obtaining a score of at least 50% on the final exam. Similarly, you can't get a square if it doesn't have four equal sides, and two lines can't be parallel if they meet at the end. According to Tolstoy there is a necessary condition of art; it must facilitate the transfer of emotions, allowing a person to relive the feelings of the craftsman while creating the work of art. According to Aristotle and Plato, the... medium of paper... responds to an objective criterion that fails to capture every form of art. Numerous changes to Tolstoy's definition will subsequently be necessary. It is my personal opinion that art can be more adequately defined as an expression of emotions; it is extraordinarily beautiful depending on who perceives it; provides pleasure, entertainment, enlightenment, education, pacification, and a variety of other emotions to people, depending solely on a person's experiences and interactions with the work of art. However, it is important to distinguish between regular art forms and exceptional forms. Exceptional art is recognized globally by most critics, and regular art forms include the five imitative arts. The concept of art is unique and offers each person a different experience. In the words of artist Ad Reinhardt, "art is art. Everything is everything else."