ARH 156: ARH 156 Blog Assignment

Nothing is created or conducted without a purpose, there has to be a motive to create or invent, simply put, there is no action without thought, likewise there is no doing without reason. This mode of thought is applicable to the creative world and logic would then state that all art, under this methodology, is meaningful and has a desired purpose or affect. Art is a form of communication, spiritual, emotional, static and encrypted, blunt and out right. The meaning that the artist buries into the art might be different from the perceived meaning of the viewer, in fact the meaning can change from individual to individual. This is because each person brings a new set of tools; experiences, internal references, societal codes, academic knowledge and a barrage of other attributes to decipher meaning. John Dewy, the author of Art as Experience (New York: Perigee, 1934) believed that art should serve as an instrument or a tool to achieve an end or a purpose. Therefore Dewy thought art had to serve a purpose. I believe that art in fact is wreathed in purpose from its inception, considering that it was in fact created under the specific pretenses and intentions of the artist to fulfill a notion or idea. This leads me to my main point, art does not need to serve a purpose, it does not have the sole responsibility of guiding, forcing, or persuading us to believe in something, art is purpose. It is the physical embodiment of the artist’s purpose, purpose is its DNA. Long after the color fades and the frame splinters and breaks, long after the marble erodes and the statuary falls to ruins, long after the film decays and the image is left unrecognizable, there was and still remains, a purpose in the canvas, a purpose in the stone and a purpose behind the negative, engraved by the artist. To answer the question directly, does art have to serve a purpose? I would say no, art is a purpose and by default this means all art has instilled in its very structure an intent, and therefore it is ripe with meaning and fluid with purpose. Whether the art is meant to be enlightening, moving, communicating a complex thought or a visual representation of history, the meaning is there from the first brush stroke, chisel, or frame. Art is not instrumental or beautiful & meaningful, there are no ultimatums, there is no reason to label or choose sides. Through its purpose can a differentiation be made. Is it meant to entertain, communicate ideals & beliefs, depict a story or just generate thought. In essence, all art in any form is, is a tool, an instrument to guide in some way, the viewer through or to a desired effect. So it can be said that art is both beautiful and deeply meaningful and also an instrument of change, institution, and beauty. It is in these ways that art constitutes as both an instrument and something as just understatedly simple as being beautiful and interesting.
Leonardo DA Vinci’s the “Mona Lisa” (1503 – 1505, page 461) is a prime example of art just being art. Like the similar saying “boys will be boys”, this implies a certain level of mischievousness, recklessness, and undertones of immaturity. When I say “art will be art” I mean it is displays purpose, communicative ideas and beauty & interest. It is what art fulfills, what art was intended to do. The “Mona Lisa” was created for a purpose, whether it is a commissioned portrait or a painting in which DA Vinci put in his own special context. I am not sure how the “Mona Lisa” helps us make sense of the world, but does intrigue us. Maybe that is it’s secret. This painting has a mystery behind it, published accounts say that the woman was Lisa di Antonio Maria Gherardini but her identity cannot be confirmed since the painting itself nor DA Vinci provide any record towards the women’s identity. So it is neither evident who the women is for sure or why the painting was conceived in the first place. This mystery has lead to many different theories and suspicions. But the fact remains; when we stare at the “Mona Lisa” we are looking directly at DA Vinci’s purpose and intent. We may not know what it means entirely but we can derive a meaning and appreciate for the portrait. The “Mona Lisa” is captivating, beautiful and moody. It’s historical origins may never be fully know, but maybe this is the lesson. The “Mona Lisa” shows us that even when the origins and meaning have faded to time or were never quite understood to begin with, we must take time to understand, to contemplate and confer, for this iconic painting was created for a reason but just because the reason has been lost, is it less significant?