Student Blog 2 - Entry #2

For this blog post, connect ideas from the Art 21 documentary and review of Lari Pittman’s work with what you learned previously about what art is for. Refer to Chapter 3 in your text and the Alain de Botton video from Section 1. Make at least three or more connections that demonstrate your understanding of how art functions within society by discussing what you think Pittman’s art is for. Provide relevant evidence from the materials provided to support your ideas—you must document your sources appropriately (see the resources provided for this section of the course)

The question “what is art for?” is one that seems to puzzle even the most successful scholars. It seems that most people seem to have different definitions of what exactly art is for. Throughout this course, we have been able to study various ideas and opinions on the subject. The textbook outlines several reasons people may create and appreciate art. Pittman’s art has a few very clear purposes in my opinion. First, he wants the viewer to have to think and observe his piece more than just in passing. He wants the art to consume the viewer and ask questions about the work of art and about themselves. This ties back to what the textbook says about giving visual and tangible feeling to thoughts and ideas. Another thing from chapter 3 that connects to this piece is the intrinsic value of the piece. It makes you think but also definitely has aesthetic appeal. This artist also brings beauty to our lives and balances us. It makes you think about the world around you and what the piece means. Art is for many reasons, but Pitman's art really encompasses some of the important aspects mentioned in our text.