The value of Art

Cuts, cuts, cuts. In this new ‘age of austerity’, that’s all I hear whenever the Arts [sic caps] are mentioned. I feel that too much focus has been put on what art costs us but the topic of what it’s really worth rarely makes the headlines.

Like drugs, the only people to consistently make big money from art tend to be the dealers. Professional modern musicians producing original material realised long ago that to make a living from your music you also need to be able to market, distribute and promote it too, taking valuable energies away from producing the product. Grants and sponsorships filled the gap to a certain extent but it’s probably safe to say that no-one chooses an artist’s lifestyle to make money.

So why bother?

I’ve tortured myself with the question many times before, even going so far as to compare how it stacked up importance-wise with my other area of interest, science. As it happens art didn’t come out too well on that occasion so I won’t dwell on this… sorry! What did come from this train of thought, though, was the realisation that, generally speaking, art reflects the society in which it is created and, therefore, has a socio-historic cultural value. No-one would question the importance of history teaching in schools, so why does art get such a bum rap?

As a musician I take great pleasure in listening to music of all tempi and cultural backgrounds. Sometimes I take so much pleasure that I decide to listen again and again and, in some cases, even buy the damn thing so I don’t run out of Spotify credits this month. However, the greatest pleasure for me comes from playing music; from creating something from nothing, whether other people are destined to hear it or not. I don’t remember who I first heard it from but the mantra “Don’t just speak, say something” has resonated with me for many years and has guided my music making and performance ever since.

I propose that the purpose of art is a means of expression, one that we are all able to do and one we all have the right to make. It can be done privately or publicly, it can be original or an homage, it can be silent or it can be deafening. Most importantly though is it can be done by anyone, regardless of class, colour, creed or ability. So much more can be said through artistic media than can be done with mere words. The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” springs to mind, a great example of which is the countless photographs of wide-eyed skeletal children covered in flies that say so much more than a weary ‘children are starving’.

So artists, whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting to discover the world of expression that lies waiting for you, wherever you are, remember: “Don’t just speak, say something.”