A003 - Art for Art's Sake

Art for Art's Sake

Botton, in his book, The Architecture of Happiness, claims that art should pursue therapeutic value. For that, art could be didactic, of utility. Art should not be merely for art's sake.

However, it is difficult for me to appreciate his claim. Typically, any art for art's sake is about the theory of art itself from which all sorts of utility-purposed applications can be built. It is like science is not of utility but for uncovering the truth of nature. Science, then, helps to create all the utility for humanity. So, art for art’s sake is necessary and the most fundamental base for all utility of art. Monet studied the color mixture in our eyes rather than in the canvas. Alber uncovered surprising interaction among colors when they are placed together. Pollock invented a way to create chaotic yet self-similar repetition of nature forms. Braque rediscovered our pure aesthetic experiences from tactility that a painting can present. These are just some examples of art for art’s sake. I cannot think of any art of therapeutic value that is not built upon these fundamental art theories developed.

August 2021

Pyungchul Kim