Is art meant to aspire? Is it supposed to bring joy into people’s lives? Or is art meant to make you uncomfortable? As you sit in your patio with a warm mug of coffee, or as you watch the sun setting down on the horizon, have you ever had these burning questions about art’s purpose?

As artists, we create something extraordinary out of nothing based on our ideas and intuition. It’s something we are wired to do where we use our imagination and try to express our ideas and emotions through various shapes and colors. And so, art is often used as a medium to convey what our words cannot.

This week, we are bringing to you a thoughtful discussion on art’s purpose. On our Arts to Hearts Instagram page (@artstoheartsproject), we asked our followers to tell us what they thought art’s purpose was, and it’s safe to say that these artists had a lot of thoughts to share on the matter.

When asked if art is meant to please or provoke, artists came up with a variety of answers. Some artists voted in favor of both, while some offered alternative explanations on what art is supposed to do. Let’s look at some of the top comments!

Art does not have to necessarily provoke OR please, it can do neither, both, or something entirely different. @duda_radmilaludosan has summarized it quite beautifully, that ‘art acquires different purposes and meanings’. It is the viewer or the consumer that gives art its meaning. For one person, an art piece can be pleasing but for another pair of eyes, that same piece can be provoking. Was it the purpose of the creator/artist to evoke that certain emotion? That’s something only s/he can disclose. However, the truth remains that the final emotions an artwork evokes can vary from person to person, and we can’t contest that. In the end, as @itasalasarts writes, art is meant to ‘transform’.

But these were not the only comments, as other artists also came forward with their own analyses and opinions on the subject!

It can be both

Who said art can be either pleasing or provoking?! Some artists thought that art can provoke AND please at the same time. While looking at a painting or an artwork, it’s possible that you feel pleased by it while also welcoming the various thoughts it provokes. In @hasna.khussain’s words, art is a ‘subjective yet collective experience’.

To make us feel a variety of emotions

There are no rules when it comes to art, and some of our followers pointed it out in their comments. There is a myriad of emotions in the world, and there are a million things in the world that an artist can talk about. So, art can do more than provoke and please, as it can transform, magnetize, and make you feel the magical emotion of ‘love’.

Art has the power to make the audience pause and think and ‘enquire’. Art can make you question the things around you, and even form an understanding of the world. Art can help you process certain emotions as well, and that’s something that an artist and a consumer can have in common.

Art’s purpose is personal

Art’s purpose can be personal, and that’s because, at the end of the day, an artist should never create art just for the audience’s sake. Art’s purpose can be a direct result of the artist’s intention, the reason why s/he created it in the first place. If artists started to create solely for the audience, their creations would lose their meaning and purpose. It is the artist who feeds a part of himself into that creation, creating an artwork with a life of its own. Maybe that’s the most important purpose of art, to help artists process their own emotions, feelings, and thoughts so that they can be translated into a visual form!

A few artists seemed to think that this ‘purpose’ depended on an artist’s mood and inspiration. Sometimes, it so happens that by looking at an artwork, you can sense the energy that was put into it. And so we definitely agree with these comments that say that an artist’s mood can dictate the purpose of that certain piece.

In the end, we would reiterate @tatianatrickovic’s comment, that art can be different and provocative. Don’t worry if yours can be uncomfortable to some, because there will always be another set of people who will find comfort in it. Art can heal, inspire, and do a lot more than that. So take pride in whatever you create, because your audience will surely identify what it’s meant to convey!

You can always leave a comment on our official Instagram page and let us know if you agree with these comments or if you have your own theories on what art is supposed to do!

You can always read more articles where our ATH community comes together to engage with each other!