IS ART USELESS?

"In my previous post on this blog ('Intelligent, but artist,' January 15), I argued that the message subtly conveyed by news and headlines on this case was the following: 'This guy is intelligent, BUT he wants to study art.'

O, for Da Vinci’s sake! The taken-for-granted expectation that readers would grasp such a contraposition without further explanation could only mean that two ideas are widely assumed as true:

a. Artistic activities and accomplishments fall outside the realm of intelligence
b. The value of art for humanity (if it has any) is much lower that the value of science

. . .my opinion is that behind b lie (1) the equation of value with utility, (2) the equation of utility with medical and technoscientific utility and (3) the consideration of art, in its uselessness, as mere entertainment."

May the Muse speak trough me in my new article for Miista. You can read it here.