Art is an amazing thing we see it every day, we pass by it when we drive to work, we look at it when we surf the web, we view it when we read magazines. But We often do not think about what the purpose of art really is, it may have never even crossed our minds that art really even has a purpose. However, it is really simple the purpose and function of art is to help us see the world in new ways, to create a visual record of our lives, and to bring up the aesthetic value of the things around us.
The most important function of art is to help us to see the world in new or innovative ways. Each person sees the world differently which allows us to solve problems differently. Artists help us see the world in a way that we might not have thought of. An artist can help us solve a complex problem just by showing us the world in the way they see it. For example, the work “The Teson Of Images” by Rene Magritte shows us a very simple picture of a pipe. As people, we are so used to a visual world and it is easy for us to see that this is a pipe. However, Magritte changes our perspective and challenges us to look deeper and understand deeper, with the wording on the bottom of the painting which reads “this is not a pipe,” that can be hard to understand outright but with further thought we can see that it was, in fact, a representation of a pipe and not actually a pipe. We can now see paintings and photos in a whole new light and also allowing our imaginations to not be confined by reality because at the end of the day everything we create is just a representation of something else.
Another purpose of art is to make a visual record of people, places, and events of their time and place. Without art we would not know the dealings of the people of ancient Egypt, we wouldn’t be able to have a record of the American Revolution and so on. There are countless examples of moments being captured with art. For instance, Monet created a visual example of what a train station looked like in Paris France in 1877 in the painting Le Pont de I’Europe. He was able to take a live look at the busy area, and give us a glimpse of what the post-modern world looked like. The smoke was rising in the air showing us how the industrial world was affecting the local way of life. We are used to seeing Paris's Eiffel Tower and other famous landmarks but Monet shows us a part of the town that not a lot of people get to see. He suggested that the train station was the most important piece of the city. *“Monet seems to suggest just below ground level, lies the heart of the modern city.” Although the painting is blurry and does not have much detail it shows how gritty the underbelly of the town can be. In the painting "Charles The First” we get a different record of life. Instead of the vast city of Monet’s painting we see a very personal look into someone’s life. He shared his likes and interests as well as popular symbols of the 1990s. He captured what might be the doodles of the young person going to school. but the work is also rich in Iconography. **“Central to his personal Iconography is the crown , which is a symbol of not only his personal success, but of other African-American “Heroes” that are subject to many of his works- jazz artists, such as Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and “famous Negro athletes,” as he calls them, such as boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and baseball’s Hank Aaron. Much like Monet Basquiat was painting an image for what he saw every day as well as capture a picture of the modern world with his references to music and sports.
The last purpose of art is making buildings more pleasurable and elevate them with meaning. Aesthetics are very important to our lives whether it’s nice clothes, cool cars, or the latest phones we are obsessed with looking good. Artists take this wanting to the next level. Renzo Piano an Italian artist created a beautiful building in Kanak called Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center. ***“Plano studied culture thoroughly, and his design blends Kanak tradition with green architectural principles. The buildings are constructed of wood and bamboo easily renewable resources of the region.” The result is an amazing unique building which is also very practical. Here is an example of art directly benefiting the community. The building complements the surrounding nature. The building also plays a huge role in the community and is now a huge staple of the area
Art has a place in our world, as such art has a bigger place in our lives we realize, without it, we would not have a record of our ancestors. We would never find new ways to look at the world, and life would be downright boring. it is huge that we continue to keep an eye out to truly see the purpose and function of art
*World of Art
