Discover and Understand the Purpose of Art in Detail

Do you ever sit and wonder what must’ve inspired an artist to draw? Or to create art in general?

Well, in some cases, you can conclude that they either want to be artists or that it’s one of their hobbies to draw.

Whatever it is, behind every creation there is always a purpose and that is what we are going to learn about in this blog.

The purpose of art is to add essence to an artist’s life and to help them give perspective to their art.

Whether it is for entertainment or for literally educating the audience, art is the easiest approach to presenting and expressing thoughts.

Now you may ask how.

Well, hold on since we are going to dive right into the blog to understand the depth and purpose of art and also how it shapes the thoughts of an artist as well as a viewer.

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Before moving forward, here is a quick question: If you were an artist, then what would’ve been your purpose in creating an artwork?

Drop your answers in the comments, and let’s start reading.

Is the Function and Purpose of Art Different?

Wait, hold on for a second and think about it: Are the function and purpose of art the same?

For better understanding, here is an example to explain the difference between the function and purpose of art:

Let us take the example of a knife. 

The function of the knife is to cut vegetables to make food but there could be various purposes for a knife.

Various purposes of knives can be during self-defense, to cut a rope during camping, to cut cloth, etc. 

I guess this example has made it clearer for you to differentiate between the function and purpose of art.

But have you ever thought about why we need purpose in art?

Suggested Read: Principles of Art

Why does Art Need Purpose?

Wouldn’t it be just meaningless to create art for the sake of creation?

Well, when someone walks into a museum or an art gallery, there are many paintings that leave them in confusion and in a blank state of mind.

To this end, the first question that arises in their mind is, ‘what is the purpose of art that I am seeing?’

The public is now witnessing the artist’s perspective, whereas during the creation, the artist was concerned about the final painting. 

So, in cases like these, it is always the artist vs. the public.

Hence, there has to be a purpose behind the painting. 

In many cases, if you see some of the famous paintings, the main purpose is to showcase what the new generation is missing in art.

It also focuses on how composition in art has evolved over time and changed the rules of creation. 

Also, as per a fact: “Art always lives in a context; what I mean here is we can change the meaning of art by where we consume it.”

So, with these, we have made it clear that art should have a meaning or purpose behind it so that it becomes easy to consume.

Now that you know why we need purpose in art, how about we dive deeper into its  meaning? 

Types of Purposes of Art

There could be n-number of purposes for creating any piece. 

The ones I am mentioning are the most important and widely known purposes of art.

Mirror To the World

Throughout the art world, there has been a lot of evolution and change. 

Movements like futurism and modern art have helped the purpose of art redefine itself.

You can also witness that over time there has been a mass increase in the art related to feminism, empowerment and a changing society.

We can say that one of the most important purposes of art is that it challenges society for betterment and gives them a unique point of view.

Gateway to Peace

If you are someone who has done thorough research on mental health, then you may be familiar with art therapy.

Now you may wonder what art therapy is: It is basically a treatment in the field of psychology that involves creative processes and activities to maintain mental well-being.

The purpose of art as a therapy is in trend these days and not only for the sake of trend, but it has actually proven beneficial for a lot of people struggling with mental health issues.

It is said that the process of healing is made easy with the creative flow of art and it also releases the happy hormone that induces a sense of comfort as well.

Suggested Read: Themes In Art: Exploring Art Themes

Experience the Mystery

Unlike poetry or music, art is based on what an artist sees or their pure imagination.

It gets hard to analyze what the artist must be thinking while creating the artwork.

So another purpose of art is that it makes you experience what looking at or decoding a mystery feels like.

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Here’s a prime example of Mark Rothko’s paintings that evoke a sense of mystery that is sure to captivate anyone who views them. 

Art Education to Ignite Creativity

Do you remember, as kids, we used to draw random scenes like floating houses and the sun stuck between mountains?

Well, those were the days and now are the days when art is included in the syllabus for students. 

Studies show that participating in a creative activity not only boosts creativity but also helps students perform better.

And this is not only for students; studies have shown that before solving a complex task, take a break and create something.

And thus, it justifies yet another purpose of art that boosts creativity and helps increase performance in our lives.

Exploring Religion

If you have ever been to Italy or Rome, you will undoubtedly understand what I am talking about.

The chapels and churches there are beautifully decorated with artwork from the biblical era and not only that, there’s a reason behind it.

The reason being that the sole purpose behind creating that art was to spread the word of religion in the community.

Even though the times have changed now, the purpose of those artworks remains the same.

Art for Awareness

You must’ve come across a lot of posters or artworks raising awareness towards some of the serious issues like cancer, autism, etc.

Not only related to health but also some severe issues like corruption, terrorism, etc.

Now you may ask, How is this the purpose of art?

Well, art has always been impactful on people. It captivates the viewers with its compositions and makes them raise questions about what must have happened. 

We can say that one of the purposes of art is to spread awareness among the audience on a larger scale. 

Art for Political Expression and Changes

Also known as Avant- Garde art, it is noted for triggering a change in society on political terms.

Using visual images to effect political change has been one of the defining characteristics of art since the early 20th century. 

The avant-garde arts are a group of art movements that share this objective, including Abstract Expressionism, Dadaism, Surrealism, and Russian constructivism. 

Hence, establishing itself as one of the prime purposes of art, Avant-Garde exists till date, as many artists are coming forward to challenge the political thoughts.

Expression of Thoughts

Would you be surprised if I told you that art is a mode of communication?

Well, yes, it is!

And like any other form of communication, art also helps in passing thoughts.

Unlike end-to-end communication, the purpose of art is to express thoughts in general and to the entire world that is interacting with it. 

One prime example is interactive art and maps, which are some of the most prominent creations in the art world and have a huge impact on the public. 

Crossing Cultural Boundaries Through Art

Art never rejects concepts, culture or people who are willing to learn.

Hence, one of the main purposes of art is to easily adapt to cultural differences and to welcome those who are willing to learn.

They create appreciation and togetherness by influencing how we perceive communities.

Also, it promotes cross-cultural art trades and benefits the art world and artists.

Learning History Through Art

The canvas of history is filled with art from every nook and corner. 

From cave paintings to sculptures, you can witness art everywhere.

So, it is easy to say that one of the main purposes of art is to promote the history of it and how it has evolved over time.

When talking about history, how can we not mention our plethora of historical paintings?

Well, not the real ones, of course, but we do hand paint replicas of some of the famous paintings of history.

If this interests you, then you can consider checking out our reproduction page, and maybe ordering one will be the best decision to make.

Conclusion

We as humans always tend to find the purpose of a product or service before opting for it, and it definitely makes sense.

Because why would we even get our hands on something when we are unaware of its functioning and working?

The same goes with opting for art but now that we have discussed all the necessary purposes of art it is easy to say that picking a painting or drawing is a fair deal.

With this, we have now reached the end of this topic called “purpose of art,” and I hope that I was able to explain and provide information on the same.

Throughout the blog, we have talked about the purpose of art in our lives, and considering the same, I would like to add to this by saying that art is timeless.

Additionally, you can not get your hands on time, of course but you can definitely get yourself a handmade portrait and that too at affordable prices.

If you are interested, check out our website.

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