Art has been one of the most amazing gifts bestowed upon the world and humanity. Yet, we treat it with disrespect and unimportance. We say, “Oh, an artist? That’s not a real job.” Nevertheless, we still throw millions of dollars at art pieces we don’t respect and honor, or even remotely understand.
Addison Hillyard (9), an art club student, explained her thoughts on why people don’t think being an artist is a job.
“I think that they only think of a job as a means of making money and yeah some artists don’t make much money but, something that you’re passionate about and want to do for the rest of your life, is what a career is really about,” Hillyard said.
One famous example of retaliation to art being sold at high prices was when Banksy, an anonymous street artist, shredded Girl with Balloon when it was getting ready to be sold off at an auction house. What I can interpret from that is that art is not meant to be bought just because someone has money to throw away or is fortunate enough to have deep pockets.
Art is meant to be an experience, a message, a movement. And its light is only dimmed when it is commoditized by society and only seen and bought by the highest bidder. However, what Banksy did backfired because after that, his piece only sold for more money than it did before. What Banksy did was unique, and people were shocked that he had the gall to destroy his own art piece.
Hillyard went into further detail about the message behind Banksy’s actions.
“I am a really big fan of it because the point of it was to express the commercialization of art, and that they ruined the painting when they sold it for millions of dollars,” Hillyard said.
One reason why art is so powerful is because it is able to give you an escape from reality. But unlike other forms of creativity, art is truly something unique, raw, and mysterious. Art can completely change your perspective on the world and open you up to new horizons. Something so abnormal can become home, a safe haven, because on some deep level you see yourself in it. Whatever you see in this art piece is giving you something that your real life can’t, it fills in the gaps you didn’t even know were there and leaves you feeling more complete than ever.
Art should also be admired because it’s able to foster a sense of community for people who feel like they don’t have a place. They share an identity and purpose and that’s what makes them a family. Art transcends race, language, gender, and culture. It has no boundaries, no limitations, no bias, and that’s what makes it so incredibly breathtaking.
“It’s really nice to be around people who actually enjoy art because sometimes it’s not taken as seriously and only thought of as a hobby,” Hillyard said.
Art is important because it’s a platform where you can express yourself and spread awareness about important societal issues as well. It gives a voice to people who have been overlooked, ignored, or pushed to the side. However, one thing you can’t do to art is pass it by, because it captivates and takes hold of your mind, body, and soul alike.
Art is loud, unflinching, and unwavering, and you will make notice of it. Artists are a tool for social change because they are able to challenge public opinion just by simply speaking their minds and then translating that in such an intricate way that takes so much talent and grace.
For instance, Picasso’s Guernica took the world by storm because it conveyed the terrible destruction and pain of the bombing of Guernica in 1937, during the Spanish War. It is even regarded as the most moving and powerful anti-war painting in history. To be able to express even the deepest atrocities of the world, and have people connect with it and understand, is truly remarkable and awe-inspiring.
Marisa Nelson (11), a Francis Howell North High School student, who is passionate about art, further explained what makes art so captivating to its audience.
“I find art to be captivating because art provides a medium for people to express themselves freely,” Nelson said. “To me, art is on a plane entirely different from the real world. I find art to be captivating because those who manipulate it have the ability to genuinely make anything they desire, art is endless and everywhere.”
Art also helps us ponder the mysteries of the world because one of the most interesting things about art is its ambiguity. It’s open to many different interpretations and changes shape based on the eyes that view it. Art is so amazing in that way because it has every meaning and none at all at the same time. For example, some of the most mysterious art pieces in history are Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Edvard Munch’s The Scream.
“What’s intriguing about art’s mystery and ambiguity is that art can have no purpose, or contrarily, a hard, strict meaning,” Nelson said. “Art is up to interpretation and everyone interprets things differently. One piece’s meaning may have an entirely different meaning to someone else.”
Additionally, art can be made just for the sheer fun of it and to entertain its audience too. It doesn’t always have a deep underlying meaning, it can be made just purely for aesthetics and enjoyment. If you just want to go out and create art, do it! You don’t ever have to have a reason, because like I said before, creativity has no bounds.
“In my opinion, art that’s created purely for enjoyment and aesthetics is still art,” Nelson said. “Art is art no matter what the purpose or intent. You can find art in anything, including art that is meant to be enjoyed entirely because of its aesthetic presentations.”
Even so, art can still be made to elicit strong emotions like anger, sadness, joy, jealousy, and love. Art just has that wow factor and is able to stop you dead in your tracks. It reaches down deep inside you and pulls all your deepest feelings to light, uncovers the memories you kept hidden. It will almost leave you feeling exposed and awe-struck because the mere strokes of a brush are able to touch the very fibers of your soul, and bring forth the experiences that shaped you as a person.
So, where does art’s true value lie? According to EDEN Gallery, an art piece’s true value lies in how it was created and the creativity and emotion that was poured into it, its price tag only holds momentary value. Which would then make it invaluable because you can’t put a price tag on the lasting impact art has made on people’s hearts, the way it has and will continue to resonate with people so much that they will change the very way they live their lives, and treat themselves and others.
