The Trivialization of Art

Over the years I’ve often run into a pervasive attitude, especially in the business and technical fields, on the value of art. In the past I worked with a lot of technical people, who would typically laugh, or shake their heads and walk away when I talked about art or artists.

There seems to be a tacit agreement in many circles that art is a kind of trivial, pointless indulgence that flakes get into because:

a)      They can’t do anything else

b)      They have nothing ‘important’ to contribute to society

But every day those same critics get up in the morning from their bed designed by an artist, put on clothes designed by artists, get into their car designed by an artist, drive to work listening to music written and performed by artists, pursue their career in a building designed by artists, go home and watch shows on TV or at the movies written, designed, filmed, directed, and acted in by artists, or play video games designed by artists.

Most likely their homes (which were designed by artists) are decorated with pictures produced by artists, the music on their stereos (designed by artists) was written and performed by artists, and on and on. I submit that these people’s lives (and the lives of everybody on the planet for that matter) would be profoundly diminished if it weren’t for art.

So if you’re a writer, or any other kind of artist, the next time someone tries to imply that what you’re doing is trivial or a waste of time, ask them if they’d like to live in a world without art.