oil paint on 11 by 17 inch panel
Title: TBD

 What is the point of Art?

Currently artists tend toward defining themselves as challenging the status quo, rebelling against the Establishment.  The response of the establishment is to buy the Art, collect it, and sell it for a profit.  Not all do that, but enough to establish a stereotype.

I find this puzzling.

"The story" these days is for an artist to start in the street as a graffiti artist chased by the police.  Working his/her way into galleries and public acclaim by talent and perseverance.  

This sounds suspiciously like a retelling of the rags to riches stories found in nineteenth century publications.  But, how many people actually fit those stories?  Rags to riches stories are about hope, not reality.  

What I suspect is happening.

The actual career path for an artist involves a rather expensive education and acquiring marketing skills, along with connections to people who actually purchase art.  It's not mandatory to follow that path; but, it is easier to convince people you are an artist when you have a degree.  Artists as a group fit neatly into an existing social order, sometimes embraced or sometimes tolerated, but always recognized by the people who support Art (As customer or as Patron) and are people in the upper levels of society and politics.  The Art they acquire inevitably supports their own beliefs, or in the case of politics, beliefs they want people to think they have.

What Next?

I am a little jaded, but I have been alive awhile; and, that happens to people who face reality.   

So, my question is:  Does Art serve as a means of propping up social and political order?  Obviously, historically, Art has served that purpose for Religion and State.  The big dogs in Patrons.  

In this Republic that still values democratic principles (I hope.), Art does not appear to support either the state or religions given the small financial support from both.  (Compared to what authoritarians and monarchies spend on public art.  This is not judgement of current government spending,)  Support for Art in this republic appears to come from loosely organized groups of communities, or voters if political oriented, reinforcing that communities values.  

From this point of view, the Artist could be a "voice in the wilderness" calling for people to get ready.  

Well, I probably need to test this more, but it feels right.