Does art always have to be beautiful?

Answer 1

No. Art is about creation, being unique, and personality. Sometimes it is ugly, but it is still art. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What is beautiful to one person is spiteful to another. Also, art expresses an idea, emotion, and/or truth. What we are conditioned to consider (generally) "beautiful" or "ugly" can change with the swipe of a brush or the turn of a century.

This question suposes the purpose of Art is to be beautiful or pleasing when in fact the true purpose of Art is expression. Whether that be an idea, a story, an image or an abstract concept, there are few Artists that set out to solely create 'beautiful' art, especially since the modern period. This is not to say that the viewer of said art is not supposed to or would not find any such art beautiful, that is up to the beholder.

It is important, within the confines of the question, to remember that there are two separate parts to the Art process: 1. The creation or intent of the artist and 2. The interpretation and taste of the viewer. So, to answer the question Does art always have to be beautiful? - A: No. It just has to be something for the viewer to react to.

Art is the psychic expression of beauty as revealed through truth.

Concepts of beauty are cultural constants, while turths are variable throughout time and culture. Today, we can fully appreciate the beauty of ancient Egyptian art, while not adhering to the truths revealed in its contents; such as its panoply of anthropomorphic gods. The elements of visual art, such as form, color, texture, etc., are universally understood, albeit restrained by personal tastes and experiences. The quality of the artwork is dependent on its ability to display the truths of its time and place.

The history of art is replete with examples of contemporaneous truths presented as absolute answers. Modern art is more a matter of asking questions or provoking the viewer to ask questions. It is this lack of affirmation that leaves many viewers of today's art perplexed.

ART SHOWS WHAT YOU FEEL AND WHAT YOU ARE THINKING

Art lets you show what your thinking and feeling. It doesn't have to be pretty, it's your choice. The thing about art is that you can express it in many ways.

Answer 2

From the early cave paintings and drawings of early man to the mega block buster movie today man craves some sort of aesthetic value placed upon the circumstances of life to better help him understand his own. Artist communicate in ways the average person doesn't and in doing so, often creates some form of universal language that speaks to multitudes. We see a painting for the first time and recognize it as something we have known and loved all along, we hear a song for the first time and know we are hearing it for the first time but can't help wonder why it sounds so familiar because it speak to what we all ready know but have some how forgotten. We see a movie that so affects us we change our lives and act in new and wondrous ways based on what we learned watching this movie or reading that novel. Yes humans need art, and no amount of censorship, no amount of suppression will keep humans from creating art and other humans from admiring it, learning from it and acting upon what they learned.

Answer 3

By whose say-so? Beauty in art is so subjective, literally a matter of personal taste, that it's a meaningless question.

Answer 4

Art is an activity specific to human behavior. As such, it must be formed, made, created.

Answer 5

No.