According to the preface, Oscar Wilde believes that art is useless, but not without purpose. He implies that the purpose of art is to be adored by its beholder. He says that art mirrors its spectator, meaning that art is what the spectator makes of it. Prior to stating that all art is useless, he says that something that is useless can be excused if it is admired intensely. By this statement, he communicates that art's ultimate purpose is to evoke emotion. Art exists "to reveal art" (9), not "to prove anything" (9). Art exists to be admired for its beauty.
He makes another point as well as the previous one. He says that art contains both surface and symbol. He warns that "those who go beneath this surface do so at their own peril" (9). He also warns that "those who read the symbol do so at their peril" (9). I believe he intends this as a caution to those who try to understand or analyze art. He warns that they are at danger of losing the simple beauty of the art.
You are right!!! I can't believe I didn't see that before. I think he was warning those who try to over-analyze art. I thought he was warning them because they would find something disturbing about themselves that they have never realized before or something like that. I agree though, you lose the simplistic beauty of the art if you try to make sense of a dot.
ReplyDeleteLoved this! This is excellently composed dude! Do you think he thinks that maybe art is used as a tool to reveal the artist other than the sitter like is actually stated in Dorian Gray? Or like art's identification is used as a character trait? Just a thought that a fellow intellect might like to devour with me :)
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