In the preface of The Picture of Dorian Gray,Oscar Wildediscusses the relationship between artistand art. In the passage, Wilde claims the artist’s intention is not important in evaluating an artwork. Wilde writes, “To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim” (Wilde, #2). That isthat art’s purpose is to reveal itself and to hide the artist. Although Wilde recognizes that the artist is the creator of art, he seems to interpret art as an independent object, which takes an independent form from its creator.
In addition, Wilde states to assess and appreciate an artwork, we do not need to have previous knowledge about the creator. Wilde states, “Those who find beautiful meaning in beautiful things are the cultivated” (Wilde, #4). He continues, “they are the elected to whom beautiful things mean only beauty” (Wilde, #5). By these statements, Wilde means that people who are educated in art are those who have aesthetic experience.Those people perceive artwork’s beauty at first glance without knowing anything about the author.
Wilde states,”art is quite useless” (Wilde, #21) because art’s only objective is to be deeply appreciated.Wilde states, “The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely” (Wilde, #21). Since art can only be appreciated and does not serve a practical function, it is useless. Art has an intrinsic value; it is valuable independent of the circumstances or others outside factors; art is beautiful because it is beautiful. As a result, it has no other purpose and become useless for anything else. However, I think, art is not totally useless because its reason to exist is to be admired and it is being admired.
Apr
29
2013
yudelkys4738 
I like how you interpret his idea of art being “useless”, and state that it is not really useless since it is admired. I absolutely agree!
I agree with your interpretation on how art isn’t useless. To add to that, because art exist to be admired, it allows us to extract something from it, perhaps knowledge in some way.
Thanks guys, I really appreciate your comments. It is good that we are in the same page.
I really enjoyed reading your analysis on how individuals who are educated in the field of art can interpret the art as an “independent object and perceive its beauty at first glance without knowing anything about.” I also agree with slureflections’ comment as well.
This is a well put summary of Oscar Wilde’s statement “art is useless.” I also found WIlde’s perception of art interesting with regard to this statemen in which he feels that if something is made merely to be appreciated it therefore has not pratical use.
I like your summary and interpretation of the reading. And I agree that when looking at an art work the artist should not matter, because looking for things underneath the surface of the work may ruin it.