Art for who's sake?

Today in the art department at my day job, a talented graphic designer told us that in his class the other night, he told his students that fine art has no value. It is worthless. It does nothing for the world beyond providing an aesthetic. Graphic Design is what can move change, affect anyone, make anyone money, do anything.

Rumbles of protest broke out and we started naming artists who's art has messages or tells stories, and besides, wasn't it enough to bring someone pleasure, what about psychological value? Why buy anything decorative if it didn't add value to one's life?

"Almost no one creates art for art's sake any more" he added. This turned things to "commercial art, graphic design, fine art," and what those terms meant. Our Creative Director was of the opinion that an artist who paints to sell is a commercial artist. The aforementioned designer said that Thomas Kincade had fallen into that. Me, I believe that if an artist is selling their work, they are a "professional" artist because it becomes their profession, and that if the art is created to sell something else, then it is "commercial" art.

Names were thrown around from Michaelangelo to some current local artists and many in between. Storytellers, salespeople, artists, advertisers, designers... is any of it less art? I do agree that graphic design currently has more power to deliver a message than fine art, mostly because of the very nature of it... it is carried to the masses by the all-mighty media. Fine art is carried to a living room.

I brought up the gators, since I had felt like they were a bit of a "sell-out" before. They're not, but admittedly I chose the colors to appeal to a specific audience. I did not choose the colors for me. Is that what art for art's sake is? For the artist? Hmmm... that seems rather self-serving. Art is art is art. Bad art is art. Commercial art is art. Movies are art. It's all expression, and it all speaks to someone. So it's communication – which though it is a rather commercial word – means it's people coming closer together.



I'm painting "Family at Fence" tonight (under-drawing above). It's not part of a series, it's not in colors that will appeal to a particular market. I'm painting it as a tribute to families, an ode to togetherness, a portrait of love. Art for art's sake, for my sake, for the world's sake.