Is art useful? when do your paintings become useful? How much does art help us?

Question

These questions are for painters or for people who appreaciates art.

Answer 1

As the one doing the work they become useful at the birth of the idea. I know that sounds kinda like a bs answer but it's the truth. When we create and that light bulb comes on in our heads it's the most profound thing on the planet. We have to follow up on it to fullfill our need to create. It may be to get out some sort of emotional thing we're going through at the time or it could just be a silly whim that we think will look cool. Either way, it helps us (the artist) get something out of ourselves we feel we have to. We have a true need to create. It's like an addiction, we have to have that creativity or we think we'll just dry up and die. Granted, what one thinks as good others will not but that's not the point. I'll use myself as an example, I don't sit around and dream up stuff to do. But when I come up with something I have to at least put in in a sketch book or it will drive me nuts! I still got it out even if it's in draft form. WIll I ever finish it? Maybe not, there's still a record of the idea that was created and to me that's what's important. It's the same for sculpture or whatever I do.

Now, those that buy art or just by a picture when they feel the need is actually more difficult. The reasons they buy are endless. It could be because it looks good over the couch or maybe it reminds them of a happy time in their lives or maybe it reminds them of someone the miss dearly. Then again it could just be because they think it's cool. Why we buy art is very personal. It can be healing or it can be something that people just find fascinating. It doesn't matter if it's a poster at Spencer's or the Mona Lisa. We will continue to by art that we feel has some sort of effect on us. It does start at an emotional level. Ok, look at it this way. Most of the stuff I do is either horror based or hot rod based. It's what I like to do. There's a painting at my mom's that's been there for as long as I can remember of an outdoor scene that I just really dig. I always have. For some reason it makes me happy and calm. Maybe because I picture myself there instead of where I am, or maybe it's just because it's a serene image and my life's always been kinda chaotic. Either way, to me it becomes useful because of the effect it has on me. And that right there is the true nature of art, it effects people on an emotional level. And that is what makes it great.

As far as art being useful you drive or ride in it everyday. You make coffee in it, you wear it, you typed on it when you asked this question. The products we buy on a daily basis all had to go through a design phase. The have to look good as well as function. The guy that lost his leg in an accident had his new prostetic leg designed by someone. The process of creating the items we use is the same as creating a painting or sculpture in general terms. I know it's not fine art but it's still art at it's basic terms.

Hope this helps in some way

Answer 2

1. Art is useful
2. Paintings become useful when they can answer your doubts
3. Art is helpful to those artists who know how to use that help!

Answer 3

I have been pondering about that for awhile myself. There hasn't been any spectacular technological advancement for a while, with the exception of internet. Technologies are growing rather fast, but no one is taking advantages of its power. The purpose of technology is suppose to make our lives easier, but instead it became a liability to society. We produce technologies so fast that the people could barely keep up with it, we purchase a brand new computer every few years just to stay on top of the game with all the new softwares requirements. Why not research and develop a computer that are 5 times more powerful than the computer we have now?, instead of a computer that is only 10% faster. I guess is a money issue that people want to explore it. My thought is simply because most people in this era don't have much leisure time in comparison to the peoples 100 years ago. I mean, we wake up and go to work 8am-5pm that is if you're lucky to have a good job. Some people take on 2 to 3 jobs. Another thing I've noticed in this era is that people are working harder for other people, but gotten lazier helping ourselves. How does that work? My understanding in this era is that, if you are not pressure to do something, you will do nothing. That is how the education system is setup, you work you to get an A+, if you don't work you will fail, there really are no time for people to stop and think about "Hey!!, I got this amazing idea, lets research the mechanics of how it'll work, and make a prototype of it, see if it works!!". People wouldn't do that now, people will say to themselves, hey I got a PS3 it makes me feel good playing it, why stress over something that isn't going to work anyways. Even if a person is willing to do it, the government won't let you, is like you have the knowledge to make a real light saber and you want to take it outside to see if it works, you'll automatically get busted by the police for possession of firearms. Or the person is willing to do it, but the issues of money just kept them down there. Who's fault is it really? I blame the corrupted society that we cannot freely express ourselves in a creative manner. Just my thoughts

Answer 4

Art relieves most artists of their intense emotions, acts as a vent.
It also helps the gradual sophistication of civilized mankind, since all true art carries with it a constructive message or novel idea.

And without art, the world would be a whole lot uglier.

Answer 5

When someone pauses to look at my art, i feel it has done what it was ment to do. For what ever reason the viewer was drawn to a particular painting, that person has stopped to reflect on something perhaps at a personal level known only to the viewer. When i see this happen i don't interrupt, but i do watch from a distance and i never ask what do you think. My artwork is posted on the hellosanantonio.com website should you have time to view it.

Answer 6

picasso did for example this painting about the spanish civil war,they used to make paintings for the people who couldnt read to understand old stories or the bible.
art can be a good reflection on the current time,and show you how things can evolve or how they are.
it's a good way to give a quick idea of your state of mind in a way different then words,i can write on and on about the variations,but i guess the main thing is that art is the most raw way of explaining an idea wich can be personal and stil conceptual

Answer 7

did you sleep in a bed last night?
did you watch a television in your home?\
did you look at a magazine?
did you put on a pair of blue jeans any time recently?
did you wear any clothing at all recently?
do you live in a house?
Do you style your hair?
Did you hold a toothbrush, comb, curling iron or anything in your hand today?
did you open a book today?
did you happen to listen to your ipod today?
did you play a computer game recently?
did you listen to CD or DVD recently?
did you read the cover of the DVD or CD?
did you look at the box of cereal that you opened this morning?
If you done anything at all today some where that involved an artist.
Everything around you was designed by a thought an artist created in there mind. There is nothing that you can't do that didn't involve the input of an artist at one point or another, EVERYTHING!

Answer 8

Just as a person can accept love only in direct proportion to their own ability to love, a receiver of art will be nourished by it aesthetically, intellectually, philosophically, and spiritually as much as they have the capacity to react, relate to, and be inspired by it--either for a moment's pleasure or to reform themself into a better human being.
Art is not psychotherapy, pure philosophy, nor the Vedas, so it cannot be expected to be a universal medicine. I have known personally some very wicked, brutal people who were intensely affected by beauty and the arts. One told me how he wept when he visited the Sistine Chapel and was overwhelmed by the beauty and "spirituality" of it all--yet he is the kind of person that should be locked up for life to protect society and his own family from his brutality and selfish abuse.
Also, Hitler, members of his party, and the Third Reich itself were obsessed with beauty, art, music, etc. Richard Wagner, the operatic composer, who was revered almost religiously by them, was also an evil piece of ****, but he wrote some of the most stunning, moving, beautiful music in existence. Obviously there is no marriage between ethics and art at the end of the day, but earnest artists do try to create at least a love affair between them.
Political, economic, religious, and social organizations use a distorted act of art called "propaganda" to use the public's sensitivity to art forms as a way of convincing them, indoctrinating them, actually hypnotizing them to believe, feel, and act in a way that is in the best interests of that organization. This can range from a cult to a totalitarian, facist, or ideology-tarian government of an enormous country.

Answer 9

art reflects history! sometimes it reflects pictoral history. prior to the camera, artists were hired or commissioned to record an event or person in history. it is also a marker of events in history through other means. art reflects history - history reflects art....
it helps society to understand what has happened and what is happening around the world. it helps people experience different things within themselves as well. art is very useful from the moment the brush touches the canvas so to speak...it begins with the artist.

Answer 10

Art in my opinion is very useful, it helps some ppl to open their eyes to maybe something that they might not normally see. It allows ppl to express themselves and it's a good way to relieve stress and it's fun to see what you can come up with. Art helps us a lot and believe it or not it defines us artists as who we really are.