Analysis of Different Meanings of Art and Audience

Different Views on Art and Audience

Substance , form , right , wrong , good and evil , are but colors on an artist 's pallet . As philosophers say , we all know that a glass of water is for us to drink , but we do not know what thirst is for . Art and its many manifestations , whether practical or impractical , is here to stay and has been around since the dawn of time . Some might argue for art 's independence from man , although the scope of this text might restrict such a discussion . What is doubtless is that

, judging by its many and widespread manifestations , the thirst for art is present in humanity as a whole

The question of the purpose of art has been approached by many . Among its several uses or functions , art has been said to provide an escape from problems , help develop imagination , or promote mental health (Beardsley 574 ,575 ) and has been seen encouraging nationalisms , work as propaganda , question society and its habits , providing insights into the depths of human nature and bearing witness to social changes

According to the theory of art present in the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wilde 1891 ) of the above should be considered valid purposes of art . Wilde claims that its aim is to reveal art and conceal the artist , defined as the creator of beautiful things . Later , he paints a clear picture of what should not be associated to the purpose of art moral stances , ethical sympathies ' and the desire to prove points are unrelated to the work of the artist and should not be considered as motivation for the artistic task

Wilde 's position is consistent with the late nineteenth century movement of Aestheticism , for which there is no other purpose for creating art than simply doing so and any other purpose served should be regarded as defect rather than merit , art for art 's sake , and for art 's sake only However , according to Objectivism , and its advocate Ayn Rand , art serves many different purposes , the first of which is the meaningful objectification of whatever is important to man (Torres Marder Kamhi 15 ) or , as explained by Rand , to selectively recreate reality allowing the human beings to learn which aspects of their existence are to be considered important . This reality is recreated by the concrete presentation - in the work of art - of an abstraction , the artists value judgments , world view and concerns

Considerations regarding the relationship between the work of art and its audience will obviously vary according to whether we adhere to one of these viewpoints or the other . Wilde considers that art mimics , or reflects the audience as it is , and that there is no moral imperative whatsoever for the artist , whose only duty is to depict beauty . This beauty should be recognized by a cultivated audience , avoid ethical considerations to pervade the creation of art and ensure the production of an artwork which will produce diverse effects on the audience whether causing admiration or repulsion...