What Does Art for Art’s Sake Mean
Art for art’s sake is a term that originated in the 19th century. It’s meaning reflects the philosophy that true art is created purely for intrinsic value.
The phrase is credited to Victor Cousin, a French philosopher. This concept tells us that art can be made purely for aesthetics, and nothing else. It needs not serve a purpose or hold a deeper meaning.
This means that the artwork itself holds value, simply because it was created.
And when artwork is created by you, it should hold extra value. It should feel priceless to you. But how do you get to a place where you hold that believe inside your head and heart?
Hopefully we can help you get to that place today.
Which Artists Were Involved In the Art for Art’s Sake Movement
The American painter James Whistler worked under this premise. Whistler fully adopted art for art’s sake as his credo and his work became less realistic and more stylized.
And some may agree, much more interesting to look at.
Musicians and writers participated in the art movement as well.
In the 1900’s, Marcel Duchamp submitted a signed urinal into an annual art exhibit but was refused entry.
Supporters of the piece defended the object using art for art’s sake as their defense.
Why You Should Adopt This As Your Artistic Credo
Let’s talk about why this is an important philosophy to hold near and dear to your heart. As artists, we tend to pursue perfectionism and we beat ourselves up over not being “good enough”.
People participate in artistic endeavors for basically one of two reasons. To pursue a career in art, or for pure enjoyment.
The problem is that many people who create for the sake of pure enjoyment tend to abandon it at some point in their life.
Or if you’re like me, several times throughout your lives. There are many different reasons why this might be allowed to happen.
Most of the reasons someone might abandon their artistic work comes back to the idea of value. Or that it’s a waste of time and unjustified.
As adults, and especially women, we feel guilty taking time for ourselves. Furthermore, creating art purely for the sake of enjoyment is perceived as a guilty pleasure. Time that could be better utilized elsewhere.
We tell ourselves things like,
“This is a waste of time. I’m really not that good anyway”, or “What’s the point if I’m not making money with my art”.
We may even go as far as to try making money selling our artwork to justify our hobby. Which, to some extent, takes the enjoyment out of it.
These negative thoughts are detrimental to the creative process. And quite often stops the artistic journey altogether.
Enjoy Your Artistic Journey
Let’s look at this from the perspective of art for art’s sake…
By holding the belief that it’s acceptable to create art for the sole purpose of the artist’s enjoyment, we allow ourselves to create without judgement.
Take that a step further and allow yourselves to create art that isn’t perfect. It no longer matters how good you can draw. Or how well you can paint. The final product isn’t the only purpose.
The process of creating art becomes the focal point. And the act of creating art can be one of the most relaxing and therapeutic things we can do, if we take the pressure of perfectionism away.
Getting yourself in the right frame of mind is the first step in the creative process. After all, how do you expect to allow yourself to go out of your comfort zone if you’re holding onto the fear of failure?
Imagine a world where it’s ok to spend an entire afternoon creating art without guilt. And furthermore, not overly caring about the outcome.
When you can get yourself into the right mindset you open up a whole new world of opportunities. And this is when your work will really start to develop and you’ll be able to grow as an artist.
Everything you create will be a necessary part of your artistic journey. Don’t shy away from anything because of a fear of failure.
It’s perfectly okay to make an attempt at something for the sake of trying it, just because you want to. This is where creativity happens. But you have to allow yourself to let go and travel down the path of unknown.
Let your artistic journey be fun and relaxing. Create something different and unique.
What Is Art For Art’s Sake (and Why You Should Adopt It As Your Artistic Credo)
I believe art for art’s sake is a great philosophy to have. And I believe everyone should be able to express themselves through their work without fear of judgement.
Including from yourself.
Without letting go of fear you’ll never be able to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to an area where you can see amazing growth. Fear holds us back and leads to many of us giving up on ourselves and our art journey.
FREE Creativity Exercise Workbook
Have you ever walked away from creating art? If you have, let us know about it in the comments.
Lessons Related to Making Art That’s Fun
- Blackout Poetry for Beginners
- Abstract Line Exercise
- Blown Ink Monsters Challenge
- Love Your Art with Daily Affirmations
