Why Is Art Important?

There is a certain beauty in all forms of art. The expressions intended vs. the impression given. Even science is a form of art.

 

I'm wondering why science is so important

 

Art,and I am referring to visual art here,is a very enjoyable activity to engage in from the perspective of process.I can think of very few more exhilarating activities than when you are in love with a piece you are working on and pushing the limits of whatever technical mastery you are capable of.When a work is progressing well there is a sense of being outside of time coupled with an immense sense of personal power,which is not directed outwardly in any way but is rather a fascination with the limits of the creative instinct made you are manifesting as a sort of aesthetic prayer against the vulgarities of the banal preoccupations of a largely inane and moronic popular culture,which is only concerned with what can be valued and assessed for it's use value in the exchange value of the hideous futurity of a world of excess and performative utility.Of course the rarified and exclusive international art market is not is also guilty of this,which is why I often prefer the work of talented unknown amateurs who toil away in their own enjoyment for the solitary and peaceful refuge from the infernal machine of a burgeoning anarcho-capitalism,and the slick computer graphics that assault us from every angle,and here I refer to the hypnagogic,hyper-unreal,souless emanations of the digital arts so pervasive today in computer games,advertising and film.Although undoubtedly clever,these digital forms seem to lack weight and vibration,and are giving rise to a standardized aesthetics that represents to me the reified corollary of a capitalist system whose perfect modes of production of material product make simple unadorned nature seem shy in comparison.This is why it is important to draw and paint from nature,perhaps even incorporating in some way the full horror of the digital panopticon the social reality constructors are building around us in airbrushed perfection.I say paint,express your protest in form and colour,construct critiques of the agendas in bright and hand drawn graphics.Create swaves of expressive movement with energy and vibrancy.Fuck shit up.If you are lucky one of the big galleries may take you up and make you rich.The art establishment like a bit of dissension and critical theory.I however prefer that which so astounds and subverts accepted norms of critical theory that I would be capable of shocking the polite art world that I would run the risk of possible murder.So,that being a dead avenue to me,I shall continue working on my technique and pleasant subject matter with the hope of one day being good enough to sell many polite,bright and cheerful paintings to odd folks here and there who might just be prepared to live with one of my pictures on their walls.I have a nice piece on the go now which I'd let go for £50.I've given up trying to be an important artist,and although I enjoy painting bright,happy pictures as this makes me happy,I will take much greater pleasure in painting the full dismal reality of the poverty,disease,war and social malcontents I observe in the world where I can really release my anger and frustration.Ultimately,art is a very fascinating activity to get into if it creeps up on you,but alcoholism,madness and despair are so often part of the territory,but I'm trying to rise above that now.Yours with affection,the arch bullshitter Faerylights.

 

Computers, vaccines, the wheel, knowledge for it's own sake, etc.

 

The wheel isn't science...

 

Yes, it is. It's technology.

 

The first guy that stepped on a log and fell on his ass when it rolled out from under his feet was not a scientist...

 

The people who strapped wheeled carts to horses and made chariots were....

Maybe not scientists, but definitely engineers.

Were ancient metal smiths scientists? Were they engineers? Were they artists?

What was the guy who figured out how to make bronze armor? Maybe a combination of all 3.

 

Art is very much a reflection of history for one. Not to say that an unknown time period could be discovered by a painting, necessarily, but a form of human expression becomes history when that expression has changed.

It's one of the few observable visual pieces of history too. I always get just a shocking shiver through my spine when I'm standing inches away from an original 1800s French painting for example. Seeing the brush strokes imprinted by someone who painted them 300 years ago is mind-blowing to me.

Why is it important? Maybe it's not, but this world would feel a lot less human without art

 

Make note of the difference...

 

Yea I mean look at the Sphinx and stuff like that. Or the Pyramids of Egypt. How much work went into that in engineering, geometry, architecture, and all aligned perfectly to certain stars.

And I actually think you can capture a time period with paintings, especially in the days before photography.

I just think some stuff like Picasso is pretentious crap. Add Warhol to that.

It's not they're not good paintings and skillful artists, but is it THAT important?!

You're not going to fool me into thinking that a picture of a can of soup is more important that the Large Hadron Collider or the Hubble Space Telescope or the cure for HIV.

 

I like Picasso.

 

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Sure, they're good pictures, but why are they important?

I could not draw pictures that good, but many people in every art class I've ever been in could, dating back to the 3rd grade.

Right now, I am looking for an illustrator for the religion book that I'm writing and my inbox is fulled with 100s of pictures that are just as good.

And why is Shakespeare in every history book for writing stories? Maybe just because he was the first to do a thing like that?

 

u know how in chem or calc its all about problem solving and be able to see the trends n stuff its all about getting ur brain to work like that well u also have to do that for your emotional development and visual based thinking. art does that for us.

 

Yea I mean I'm sure Picasso was a cool guy and all.

Probably a lot more fun to hang out with than me. Lol.

 

Picasso's reputation is why he's so renowned. His piece, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, started Cubism. He started doing art early in life, and he has contributed to many of the major artistic movements.

 

But why is Cubism important? How is this important in the grand scheme of things?

As opposed to something like World War II like we are talking about on a different thread?

 

Aside from pushing the avant-garde and expanding the question of what art is, influencing architecture and other art forms, I cannot think of a thing. Some of the images portrayed socially relevant topics, but it seemed to be art for the sake of art from what I know.

 

you can't compare art and WWII lol. That goes beyond apples and oranges.
art is important because people enjoy it. It takes people away from the horrific living nightmares created by other humans....such as war. War is humanity's worst side. Art is our best.