It depends on who you ask and there are absolutely grey zones. But for the sake of discussion, Oxford English Dictionary defines fine art as “creative art, especially visual art, whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content.”  

To put it crudely, it is a work of art that serves no useful function whatsoever. Utilitarian it is not! As a consumer, fine art is totally a luxury item. As an artist, the definition of fine art includes some very captivating words: creative, imaginative, aesthetic, intellectual. The implication is that fine art is a visual creation that mentally engages its audience giving rise to thoughts and opinions and perhaps rousing emotions. Fine art is a brain game! 

Historically, fine art encompassed painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and poetry. In modern times, music and poetry have become their own art forms, and fine art has become mostly about visual art and includes an almost unlimited range of media including photography, printmaking, drawings, watercolor, and sculpture using all manner of materials. So long as it serves no purpose other than to visually engage a mind, it can be made from pretty much anything and potentially qualify as fine art. 

This bodes well for my mission to convince people that origami can be a medium for fine art. (Wink, wink.) My origami designs and sculptures have been described as “cool,” “amazing,” “interesting,” “experimental”, “cognitive,” “multi-layered”, and “mind-bogglingly complicated.” Through strategic folding and sculpting, I aim to infuse each creation with enough personality and character to tell a story. I would venture to speculate that qualifies it as fine art.