Darthmat wrote:
Is art supposed to make us feel something? Is its purpose to create a catharsis of emotions as Aristotle said it did in Poetics? Should it inspire us, make us fear, laugh, cry? Or maybe art is just a platform for the artist to express what he feels.
I believe that different art has different purposes. Some art is meant to create a reaction deep inside the audience, and perhaps even change some of their perception, like some books can. Other art is meant to invoke a catharsis inside us, I know music does that for me. Art can also inspire people to create or do something. And other art is just a way for the artist to express him or herself, without meaning or wanting to do any of the above. Sometimes, an artist may not have any intention of the doing the above as well, but ends up doing so anyways.