Dear Art Nerd,
Does art matter?
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Well, you see-
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Prove it.
-Karen M.
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Oh, for the love of-!
ARGH
Have you ever seen anything that’s ever been designed before? Like, say, a car, a building or a computer case? Almost everything has been designed by some artist in order to be aesthetically pleasing. Granted, some things are designed by a mere engineer, but more often than not, the design phase involves a lot of drawing.
That aside, have you ever been moved by a movie? Changed your mind because of a book? Read a comic and been emotionally affected? Cried because of a video game? If so, then congratulations. You’ve experienced first-hand why art matters. You see, art does not build homes, nor does it rejuvenate broken bones or heal the sick. It doesn’t necessarily stop hunger.
But it can do those things indirectly. The human mind and the emotions involved can be easily changed and manipulated by art. Though that may sound a bit negative, it’s true. Art usually has to elicit some kind of response from the viewer, be it adoration, love, hate, despair, misery or hatred.
Cheerful stuff.
And even if emotional response isn’t what you are looking for, art is still absolutely critical. It is a way of documenting the past. It can help promote creative thinking. People need to relax so they might look for uplifting art to look at, read, watch or play.
Even if art doesn’t necessarily mean that some product will look better, it still can change the human mind. And it may sound small but in reality, that’s not just kind of interesting. That’s huge. Art can’t make things happen itself. But art can make people do fantastic, wonderful things.
And horrible things.
Yours Most Snobbishly,
The Art Nerd
Got an art question? Ask the Art Nerd! asktheleagueofnerds@gmail.com
Or: Twitter @AskTheLeague / facebook.com/asktheleagueofnerds
By the way… happy Halloween.