Many people have discussed that ever since the camera had been invented, the purpose of art wasn't needed anymore and also in danger as its purpose had been taken away from it. Yet artists called Marcel Duchamp and Picasso had cleverly twisted ways in which we see art thus, giving it a new purpose if people think so.
Even if it wasn't painting in a new way, Duchamp managed to take ordinary objects and give them another purpose or meaning, possibly something symbolic. People may not agree to this as to them it may just be an upside down urinal, or to others may look at it in a different way.
Paintings before the camera were usually created to show people what they saw, also to paint portraits such as famous historic people. Even though we still create landscape paintings, i believe they are created to show the beauty in the world. It may not be exact, but that's what makes it heavenly and a way of escaping into a gorgeous world instead of what people may think of a negative world. I also believe that painting something gorgeous and beautiful will make people stop and think that there is beauty left in the world and shouldn't dwell on the negativity which is taking over.
However some art hasn't been taken too keenly, giving the idea that it's ridiculous or meaingless. Damien Hirst made an uproar with his shark in a tank. Brian Sewell commented on this piece as 'It is no more interesting than a stuffed pike over a pub door' this gives the impression that its purpose is worthless.
With the shark and other art like this, i feel is has no purpose as it's only what it is, a shark in a tank. I feel certain art has meaning such as a sculpture or painting, but everyday objects, i feel it already had a purpose and you can't change it. A man called Hughes attacked Hirst's work by saying the piece was 'functioning like a commercial brand' giving the impression that creating pieces was only for financial reasons and was the only financial reasons and was the only purpose to create art.
I feel that in recent time, people create silly meaningless art just to get money and not for the joy of producing it . I feel art does have a purpose, but not all of it. A beautiful painting i will admire as i will look at it and think it reminds me of the beauty that's left in the world, where as the shark will perhaps only give me nightmares and remind me of the bad things happening in the world.
