Is it art, or . . .

. . . something else?

and, what is the purpose of art, anyway?

Some would say that the purpose of art is to inform and inspire action. Others say that the purpose of art is to delight and inspire joy. Some might argue that the purpose of art is to add beauty to the world; and there are those who argue for the shock value of ugliness and horror. Some simply want something color-coordinated to fill a space and make their lives a bit less bland. And I suspect that there are others who feel that art has no purpose at all.

I have found myself in the middle of an interesting discussion regarding a piece of socio-political art. The intent of the artist was to inform and inspire action; to me, the piece failed, but for others, it succeeded. They found it amusing, or felt that it was a strong and true validation of their anger.

I found it crude, vulgar and mean. I don't like to see people sink to the level of the ugliness they wish to unveil. I guess I'm the sort who wants art to inspire and elevate.