Art in Modern Society

Art does not play the same role in our society as it has throughout history or at least not in the sense of paintings or sculptures. We value art in forms of music or movies, but paintings or sculptured have just been reduced to old-fashioned forms of expression. Paintings are sold for outrageous amounts of money for a single color on a canvas, signifying what the quality of art has become. Art has and always will display an invaluable message through color and emotion, however our society just has less of an appreciation for art. Modern cinema has attributed to the decline of art. On the contrary, art has not been erased or forgotten. Artist still use art to show their emotions, their stances on our society, their political views, their loves and passions, and even their support for local baseball teams. However, when we look at paintings we don’t always see the deep meaning. We don’t look deeply in the history behind the images. Museums such as the Nelson or the Louvre are dedicated to displaying art for the public, but we do not put a high value on paintings as we do music or movies. Our generation just does not take the time to appreciate art. Going to see famous works such as Starry Night or the Mona Lisa may be something people still frequently do, but our generation doesn’t value artwork the same way fans of Andy Warhol used to. We look at a painting and only see a woman in a gold dress. What does it mean? Who is she? We don’t take the time to answer or even ask these questions. It is nothing wrong with the art, but it is something wrong with our society. We are no longer impressed by detail or emotion displayed in a famous art piece. We think of art as paintings, sculptures, or an array of simple object, but art is more than something physical. Art has emotion. It has the artist’s mood stroked across the canvas. Art cannot be given a price tag. The art is truly owned the artist, but the painting or sculpture can be owned by anyone. The person who owns the piece is entitled to their property just as someone who owns a car is entitled to it. Art is made to be enjoyed, but is often used as a decoration. If the Jewish family from World War II owned the painting of the Woman in Gold, then they have every right to use to how they choose. Even if it means no one getting to see it, the painting is their property. There is probably a large number of famous paintings that are in private hands. If the owner decides to sell or donate the painting to a museum, that is his choice. Stealing paintings is a crime and if we allow crimes to be displayed on a wall in the middle of a museum, we have made a complete mockery of justice.