ART

“What is art?” a friend asked, “What is not?” replied Picasso.
Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, it produces works which are appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
Art is anything beautiful which gives pleasure to the senses. The biryani that mother cooks, a shelf that the carpenter makes, the lyrics written by a songwriter every little thing which creates a sense of fascination is a piece of art.
Art has been a crucial part of my life. I've been drawing and painting since my childhood and have developed a great relation with it. The joy of completing a piece of art is indescribable. The journey of an artwork from blank canvas to a finished work is comparable to the growth of a child. It gives the artist immense pleasure to watch his/her artwork grow into something which is appreciated by people around him, but most importantly appreciated by the artist himself.
Art has existed almost since humans have existed. The primeval caveman painted on the walls of his cave with stones and natural colours. It has been used for both good and evil purposes, Hitler used artistic creativity for Nazi propaganda on the other hand cartoonists and activists around the world have often used art to point out the injustices in the society and criticise corrupt practices in the political and social world.
In my opinion, Art should serve the purpose of humanity. It should also reflect the realities and aspirations of the society. Artists must play an active role in raising awareness about societal issues and provide alternative perspectives to the common people. “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls” said Picasso reminding us that art is something that helps us break free from a monotonous routine and find ourselves.
The commercialisation of art has deviated artists from their duties and has created a sense of competition among artists and art-forms. It prevents art from fruitful development. The commercialisation is in conflict with the purpose of creation of art. According to me it is the lack of appreciation for art in a society that revolves around money and profit making which devalues art and artist and hence steer the society towards a negative way.
