What Is Art Good For?

All artists have wrestled with the question of why they make art. The endeavor can sometimes feel impotent or indulgent, or perhaps motivated by compulsion alone. Yet here we are, continuing a tradition that has spanned the entirety of human history. My ears always perk up when an artist offers or even implies an answer to art’s purpose, with their words or with their work, so I posed the question to seven artists with evident opinions. Some responded with words to live by; others turned t