It seems that everyone wants something different from art. Whether is going to a concert, visiting a museum, purchasing a book of poetry or using art to elevate the status of a product or political position, our motivations and expectations vary. I recently heard an account of an individual who was required to take a music appreciation course while in college. At that time, he had little interest in music, but the course fulfilled one of the program’s requirements. So he studied the subject and worked hard in the course in order to get a good grade, further his desired career and ultimately get a good job. In other words, he listened to music in the hopes of eventually making a lot of money. Well, something must have clicked. Fast forward 30 years and that same person had a successful career but was now spending a good deal of money on tickets to regularly attend the symphony. His motivation had changed. He was no longer listening to music to further his career — a means to an end — but rather because he earnestly found the music beautiful, uplifting and deeply satisfying — an end in itself.
As an artist, this is a hopeful story. The ultimate reason that anyone should seek out an artistic experience is because it is personally enriching. However, being able to appreciate the arts is less about acquiring knowledge and more about throttling one’s self-interest and ambitions so the work can be experienced on its own terms. Ironically, “visual” art is not solely about appearance but rather an experience — impacting the way we feel and think. When I go to a museum or view a piece art, I expect to be challenged, to leave the encounter having felt something unique and different. I expect to have thoughts that are novel and elevate my focus beyond my limited everyday concerns. If we are simply amused by the encounter, we leave the work unchanged, it could be argued we have squandered our most precious commodity — our time. Conversely, if we leave the encounter with new questions, a different perspective, deeper insight or a feeling of earnest satisfaction, we have received the greatest gift art can offer.