What is the Purpose of Art?

Hey all! Sorry for the long time between this post and my last post- school caught up with me. I've decided to just go in order of the chapters in Soul Pancake, partly because I'm too ordered and structured to do it any other way, and partly because the next chapter is Art and Creativity, which I'm pretty excited for. So, here we go!

From "Art & Creativity" section of "Soul Pancake":

What is the purpose of art? What is art? What piece of art most speaks to you? How does knowing the intention behind a work of art affect your experience of it?

First off, let me say that I am by no means an expert in art. In fact, I actually know very little (especially when it comes to the visual arts).


I think that art is an expression of the artist. So many different things can be considered art: paintings, drawings, photographs, music, dance, theatre, collages, sculptures, architecture. Maybe even literature, fashion design, maybe even nature itself. But basically, I think art should be something that is an expression of the artist's personal self, and/or that speaks to the viewers in some way.

Art can, and I believe does, serve many purposes. It can be used merely as a form of self expression for the artist. It can be used to make some sort of commentary on the world or life. It can be a way of getting people to talk. It can be something that is purely for enjoyment (whether the enjoyment of the artist or of the viewer). Art can make people feel alive, feel connected, feel spiritual. It can make us think, it can make us feel. Art can do so many different things.

The form of art that I am most familiar with is theatre. I don't really know what particular "type" of art speaks to me most, because there are different things that I like and dislike about each "type". I also find it hard to pick a piece of art that speaks to me most, because as I've just said, there are so many different types of art. Also, I'm not very familiar with a lot of art. So therefore, I'd probably only be able to pick a play or musical that speaks to me most, since theatre is the only one I'm very familiar with.

Personally, I love art most when it makes me feel something, when it makes me feel connected to others or to nature or spirituality. I love it most when it makes me feel alive. And there are so many pieces of art that can do that! Theatre almost always makes me feel that way. As you can see from the "Soul Songs" I've posted, music can do that for me, too. But pretty much anything can. I've seen paintings, drawings, photographs, dance, and sculptures that have just made me stop and say "Wow!" Something I particularly enjoy is architecture. Some of my friends and family that I've talked to don't really see this as art, or aren't often moved by it, but I can be moved by good architecture just as much as by a photo or painting.

Knowing the intention behind a work of art can and does change the way I view it and feel about it. I think I almost prefer NOT to know the artist's intentions, because that way I can connect to it in a more personal way.

What do you think art is? Let me know!

-Beth