Art is often seen as useless, but perhaps its purpose lies in the sense of beauty that humans possess. Beauty may be a superfluity of sexual attraction, as nature needs us to be drawn to other human bodies. However, evolution has made this feeling too strong, causing us grief when these bodies are no longer beautiful. Art, then, becomes a response to natural beauty, as we seek to reproduce and prolong it. Art goes beyond itself to point at us and compile the endless atlas of human experience. It reveals the tangles of human nature and allows artists to confess the dirty human secrets that others can’t bear to look at. Art isn’t just for beauty and truth but also for social justice, connecting us as individuals outside the borders of the group. In modern life, art serves to equip us and civilize us, teaching us to enjoy and exploit anxiety rather than seeking instant alleviation. Art is for artists themselves, who often face disdain from society. Despite the different purposes ascribed to art, its true reason for existing lies in increasing life, allowing us to be fully present and experience the intensity and fulfillment that art brings. Art connects us to another world, a spiritual realm that traditional societies recognized and embraced. Ultimately, art may
https://salmagundi.skidmore.edu/articles/477-thirteen-ways-of-looking-at-art