A look at the benefits of artistic expression—especially visual art—beyond political commentary, protest art, and art for social change.
I feel that the arts have often been studied and considered for the social commentary and political protest that it can embody, or put forth. I feel that the arts have been lauded or approved of based on its proximity to political commentary—its proximity to protest art, or art that is intended to stoke or ignite social change. (This social change would ultimately occur through mass movements and concrete actions, in executive capacities—systemic change; systematic progress forward towards justice and peace.) As a result of studying and magnifying art as connected to politics—as a result of highlighting art as connected to political struggles—art that has avoided or not involved itself with political commentary and critique has been deemed as valueless and a waste of time to both the artist and the audience. In other words, artistic expression that has avoided political commentary—whether consciously or unconsciously—has been deemed as having little real worth. Again, it seems to me that artistic endeavors are often judged via their proximity to analytical critique of sociopolitical structures, in the world.
The reality is that just as there are many different spheres, contexts, and even purposes to life, there are many different functions to art. It can serve many different objectives–as many different objectives as there are spheres, contexts, and purposes to life as a whole. The arts can serve as therapy, persuasive communication, education, and commerce, to name some concrete and realistic applications and utilizations of art.
Art can heal, and can cause audiences to let go of their mental struggles and internal suffering; it can be therapeutic. Artistic expression can persuade the viewer (or reader; listener) to take certain self-help steps or actions in their own lives, in a highly encouraging and supportive way; it can be persuasive. (Perhaps “motivational” would be closer to what I mean.) Creative arts can provide knowledge on lesser-known types of experiences and phenomena, especially regarding personal or private matters; it can be educational. The arts are also used for commerce; practicing artists often have their creations printed on products, which are then sold as clothing/apparel, journals, diaries, folders, calendars and stationary, blankets, posters, wall decor, mugs, and etc. | Art is also beneficial in children’s development, via picture books and animated children’s tv programming. Many books and animated (cartoon) shows are educational, and they portray positive messaging regarding self-care, hygiene, sleep, healthy eating, being ok despite the negative things that happen to you, practicing mindfulness and contextualization, putting the negative aspects of one’s life into proper perspective, voicing and communicating the negative things that happen to you, seeking help with things that cause distress, and etc. Art is also used in art therapy throughout the lifespan, with both adults and youths.
I once heard the saying that people often decry how meaningless and valueless art is, but then read their favorite novel for the hundredth time; listen to a playlist of songs which revives and rejuvenates their spirits; they’ll look at the work of their favorite essayists/poets for insight into certain issues; they’ll study their favorite artists’ sketchbooks and art books for genuine healing from past pain and traumas. As bitter as this observation is, it’s correct. Society often has a highly dismissive and unimpressed attitude towards the arts, and yet people avail themselves of all sorts of artistic expression very regularly, perhaps not realizing that those products or services or creations are themselves artistic creations—nothing more, nothing less.
Some people are not unmindful that art for non-political purposes is highly valuable and useful, but they still give most of their attention and praise towards political art, and art for social change. This is fine; visual artists and all creative professionals should be encouraged and supported, regardless of the content or purposes of their artwork. But I still hold that ‘nonpolitical art,’ or art that doesn’t function well in political contexts due to its apolitical nature, is often invaluable in its own right. And I feel that the aforementioned uses for nonpolitical art barely scratches the surface; there are likely myriad other benefits.
It is obviously a hope emanating from the highest of hopes that the arts actually achieve the aims of therapeutic support, persuasive and motivational messaging, knowledge and experience sharing, and good, mutually beneficial commerce. But this hope seems to already be current reality, every day. It might be present-day reality, in fact. And these are all privately-felt realities, and so they probably will not be front-page news, nor will they have their origins concentrated in any one known institution or organization. It is not centralized command—the positive effects of artistic expression often do not originate from centralized authority. It is decentralized. It truly puts power in the hands of the artists, and it empowers, stimulates, soothes, and uplifts the audience. It actually creates any effect that the artist has in mind, or intends; it surely can. And there’s usually nothing at all in the way between the artist and the audience members, which is liberating and freeing. The artist does not speak from a place of arrogance or condescension, nor does the audience mind the artist’s own unique interpretations of the various topics s/he discusses. The audience knows the artist is a deep thinker, most likely, with meaningful experiences to share; and the artist knows that the audience is understanding and are all well-wishers, for the most part. There is no bad blood between an artist and his audience; and so fear and malice can be removed from the picture, totally and completely. Art removes fear and negative emotion—it doesn’t add more into the picture. More than there already is in this difficult world, I should say.
-this short essay was written for a class taken in college; The Sentence: Strategies for Writing. Fall, 2021.
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