The Purposes of

Art: A Brief
Overview from A to
Z
MATERIALS: THE ART OF
UNDERSTANDING ART
AUTHOR: IRINA D. COSTACHE
The following discussion is an overview of the different purposes of art.

• Art for Art’s Sake • Art as Biography

• The notion of “art for art’s sake” implies that art is a
self-referential entity with no ties to its environment • In the past artists have documented their
and should be appreciated for its own qualities. professional and personal concerns in self-
portraits.
• In modern times “art for art’s sake” has been linked
to artists’ personal artistic quests, views, and • Today artists include in their art more private
expressions. Many works apparently detached from issues and moments, ranging from aging to
reality derive from or include subtle, but significant, fighting cancer, often presented with voyeuristic
references to specific ideas and emotions. qualities that make audiences uncomfortable.
• Mark Rothko’s (1903–1970) abstract paintings, for
• Should artists expose the intimacy of their
example, have a profound spiritual component.
lives?
 • Art as Commentary on Contemporary Times and Issues
• Many works of art have reflected, directly or indirectly, on their own times. As, in the modern era, artists became more
independent, they were also able to use art to express their views and concerns about contemporary issues. The Aids
Memorial Quilt (1996–) project, for example, is an ongoing project created to raise awareness of the devastating disease
of Aids.

• Do you know a work of art whose main purpose is to comment on contemporary issues?

• Art as Commentary on the Past

• Art has often been created to contemplate the past. The most familiar examples in Western art are subjects related to
Greek and Roman civilizations. Classicism was at the core of the Italian Renaissance. It was also essential for the late
eighteenth-century Neoclassical period, which favored the virtues of classical antiquity over present-day issues.
Contemporary artists use the past as inspiration, but also to critique previous artistic and cultural practices.

• Art Commenting about Art

• Artists have commented in some of their works on the meanings and purposes of art. These views have been presented
mostly in self-portraits and allegories. Contemporary artists have developed innovative ways of presenting their thoughts
about these issues. Erased de Kooning Drawing (1953), by Robert Rauschenberg (1925–2008), is one of many
examples. The work is what the title suggests: an erased drawing by the Abstract Expressionist artist Willem de Kooning
(1904–1997). By attaching his name to the work, Rauschenberg intended to question a wide range of artistic norms,
including the significance of originality and authorship.
 • Art and the Community/Public Art
• Many works of art have been created for public viewing. Murals, sculptures, and scores of ornaments made for religious,
political, and aesthetic purposes are displayed publicly, often outdoors and independent of art institutions. A
contemporary example is CowParade, hosted by over fifty cities around the world since 1999. This project, comprising
multiple sculptures displayed in parks, at bus stops, and in front of shops, aims to ignite a meaningful dialogue between
art, the community, and the urban environment. While the form of the sculptures remains essentially the same (different
shapes of cows), artists paint them in a novel and unique style in each city. The project also benefits various international
charities.

• Art for Commemorative Purposes

• An important function of art is to commemorate individuals and events. Works created for this purpose are usually
commissioned by city, state, and other officials or influential patrons, and made mostly for public display. Scores of
sculptures representing political, historical, and cultural figures celebrate and recognize their contributions to the national
and international community.

• Have you seen works of art made to commemorate a person or an event?

 • Art as Decoration

• Many works of art have been created, both in the past and today, to embellish a space. In some cases, decorative arts and
objects have been integrated with paintings and sculptures. For example, the nineteenth-century American artist James
McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) blended interior design with painting, sculpture, and furniture in his famous Peacock
Room (1876–1877).

• Should art be made only for decorative purposes, or should it have other functions?

• Art as Documentation

• There are many instances when art has either been created to document events or could be used as visual documentation.
Cave paintings provide modern audiences with valuable information about the period in which they were created. The
beauty of medieval manuscripts is equaled by the wealth of information they preserve. Similarly, the complicated writing
on Egyptian paintings and sculptures adds documentary value to these works.

• Should art created for documentary purposes be considered artistically less valuable than other works?
 • Art and Emotions

• Art has often been created to express artists’ feelings or to produce an emotional response from viewers. There are
multiple examples of soft, tender, and warm moments as well as raw, graphic, and violent scenes. The viewer’s
connection to art is often mainly on an emotional level.

• Art as Enjoyment

• Many experts and viewers disagree with the idea that art can be created solely for enjoyment; such works are often
perceived to be superficial. The French twentieth-century artist Henri Matisse (1869–1954) eloquently refuted this
view. He said that he dreamt of a serene art that would be “like a good armchair in which to rest.”1

• Can a work of art simply be enjoyed?

• Art and Everyday Life

• In some cultures, art has been closely intertwined with life. In the West, daily life has been reflected in views of
interiors, family portraits, hunting scenes, and still life. In many ancient cultures the representation of everyday life is
also connected to funeral rituals. For example, the paintings and sculptures in ancient Etruscan and Egyptian tombs
reveal the customs of these ancient civilizations.
 • Art for Functional Purposes
• Masks, articles of clothing, baskets, and other functional objects were created in many cultures to be both used and
admired. In the modern Western tradition art is considered an object to be looked at but not touched, let alone used. Many
artists and art movements have tried to breach this gap. The twentieth-century Bauhaus School established strong
connections between art and everyday objects.

• What do you think: should the utilitarian purposes of art diminish its artistic value?

Art and History

Before the invention of photography, art was the only visual record, and many works were created to illustrate specific
historical events. These images are valuable sources for understanding the past. However, they represent a point of view, not
an objective account. History painting, a favored genre of the French Art Academy, is a term used to define artworks
concerned with representing classical subjects, religious narratives, and major events from the past, adding, at times,
fictional or moralizing components.

Art and Human Nature/Psychology

The individual has been central to many traditions and cultures, but the subtleties of inner life have not been widely explored
in art until the modern era. This interest, evident since the late eighteenth century, is linked to other scientific, social, and
sociological changes. (It was also during this period, in 1818, that the novel Frankenstein was published.)
 • Art as Ideas and Thought Process
• The notion that art is created for conceptual rather than visual purposes is widely debated among both experts and
viewers. While descriptive elements remain the mechanism through which art communicates, many artists, particularly
in recent times, have given priority to the conceptual aspect of their art.

• Should art be about visual elements or ideas? What should viewers do in front of a work of art: look at the art or
think about it?

• Art and Ideals

• Many artworks have been created to expose the ideals of a society. For example, the sculptures created in ancient
Greece during the fifth century BCE embodied this culture’s idealized representation of a man. When these statues are
compared to later works with the same subject, either in Greek or other traditions, it becomes evident that ideal forms
differ across time and cultures.

• Art as Information
• Some works of art are created specifically to inform us of various events and products. Posters and signs and, more
recently, web and other graphic designs have this primary function. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century art
institutions have recognized the value of art created for these purposes by organizing major exhibitions of film posters,
advertisements, and graphic design.
 • Art and Knowledge
• Knowledge is used by artists in the creative process, but it can also be the reason art is made. Studies of nature, anatomy,
optics, medical practices, engineering, and astronomy were based on and reflected the knowledge of the time. A good
example is the painting by Benjamin West (1738–1820), Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky
(ca.1816). A digital reproduction of this work is on the homepage of the Franklin Electric Co.

• Do you know works of art created specifically for this purpose?

• Art and Life/Nature

• Many cultures have thought of art as a continuum of life. In the Western tradition art has mostly been created to reflect
on life and nature rather than being intertwined with them. Contemporary artists, however, including Walter De Maria
and Christo (both b. 1935), have established innovative dialogues with nature and life.

• Art as Memory
• Art has often been created in the past as a visual record. Portraits have served as personal and public memories.
Landscapes and urban scenes have preserved images of the past. Although their initial purpose might have been
different, these works have become valuable visual testimonies of their times.
 • Art and Philosophy
• Philosophy and art have always been strongly interconnected. Throughout history artists have been influenced by
philosophical views. Daoism and Confucianism are reflected in Chinese landscape paintings. In Western art, the
philosophies of the ancient Greeks Plato (429–347 BCE) and Aristotle (384–322 BCE) and the eighteenth-century
German Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) have affected many artistic views and developments. Jacques Lacan (1901–
1981), Jacques Derrida (1930–2004), and Jean-François Lyotard (1924–1998) are some of the philosophers and
theorists who have influenced contemporary art.

• Art and Politics

• For centuries and across the globe political life has been closely intertwined with art. In certain circumstances, both in
modern times and in the past, art has been created for propaganda purposes. Since the mid-nineteenth century artists
have had more opportunities and freedom to express personal political views in their works.

• Art and Reality

• Art has reflected the surrounding environment and, at times, confirmed the identity of the space in which we live. New
media – photography, film and, more recently, video and virtual reality – have continued to offer images that parallel the
coherence of the world. For many viewers, realism (the imitation of reality) is an important criterion in art appreciation.
 • Art and Religion and Spirituality
• A great deal of art has been created, particularly in the past, for religious purposes. Many such works are now displayed
in museums and admired solely for their artistic qualities. Modern artists have reflected about religion and spirituality
from a more personal angle.

• Art as Self-Expression and Personal Statement

• The most widely held belief is that art is a form of self-expression. The link between the creative act and the work of art
has important and complex ramifications. Sometimes, if this relationship is too intimate, the audience has difficulties
understanding the meaning of the art. Artists have also made visual statements about identity, race, and gender. Some of
these artworks are self-reflective, while others critique values and expose stereotypes.

• If you were to create a work of art, what statement would you like to make, and how would you present it?

• Art as Social Statement

• Artists have reflected and exposed a wide range of social issues in their art.

• Do artists have an obligation to be involved in social issues? What social issue should artists focus on today? What
would you focus on if you were an artist?
 • Art as “Truth”
• The notion that art has changeable meanings and values is uncomfortable to many. In the modern Western tradition,
where science and provable truths have been at the core of most disciplines, there are expectations for art to also be
“truth.” Picasso reflected on this issue, stating, “Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.” The artists may be true to
themselves, but even this is not always possible. Personal interpretations, views, and feelings are at the core of both
making and understanding art.

• Can you think of other purposes and functions of art? For example, art as therapy.

• Why is art made? The multiple and diverse purposes of art are evident. Art is a visual journal of our past, present, and
future. But art is hardly an open book. Many works, even when familiar, intrigue audiences. This mystery is not
threatening, but it is intimidating. Some of the mystique of art will be uncovered in the following chapters. The issues
presented will clarify what makes art both powerful and necessary. Some of these elements are awe-inspiring, others
banal; some are visible, others invisible; and some are familiar, others unknown. They all, however, confirm that art is an
indispensable ingredient of life, culture, and society. Art makes the ordinary extraordinary.