“All the things I know but of which I am not at the moment thinking—1:36 PM: June 15, 1969”

We were talking today in my Art Since 1945 class about more conceptual art and went over this line by Robert Barry. Does that line count as "art"? What about when Rauschenburg was asked to submit something to a gallery and sent the following telegraph:

"This is a portrait of Iris Clert if I say so"

Is that true? Is art whatever we want it to be? Does art have to be in relation to beauty, and if it is, are humans the ones who can define what beauty is?

It seems like "art" is expanding really fast in all directions and losing connection with seemingly normal definitions like, art as just aesthetic representation. All the modern art we've been studying has had less to do with making its own point than just refuting and one-upping the ideas of whatever movement was previous. It seems pointless besides just being a cool and intellectual way to speak about nonsensical things.