The value of Art and Design
Art and design, is there really any difference or are they all the same? And just what difference will it make if one differentiates one from the other or what would be the outcome if we discovered that they were all the same? Such are the questions that people ponder on when debating on the topic of art and design in trying to prove whether they are similar or they are two separate entities. Even though the debate has carried on for a significant amount of time, it is important to ensure that there is a clear definition of art and design as this could have great implications in the two fields. While a lot could be achieved from clarifying the idea of art and design, the most crucial outcome is when defining the value to place on the different end results of either art or design.
It is common knowledge that the value placed on art is much higher than that for designs. While some pieces of art have been known to go for millions of dollars, designs are not regarded as having the same value and only sell for a few thousands of dollars. By clarifying the two, art will be able to attract its desirable value without the risk that it could be degraded in the occurrence that someone mistakes it for design. People tend to have different approaches when deciding the value of art and that for designs. In the case of art, the value is often determined by the artist who made the piece of art (Clarke, 2010). Art from famous artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh or Claude Monet automatically gains a lot of value because their work is renowned across the world. The names, popularity and history of these artists demand respect and recognition in the art industry and any piece of art they present or had made in the past but recently became discovered is sold for millions of dollars.
Other than the artist, art in itself has the power to set its own value depending on how it is received by the audience. While the work of famous artists get are greatly respected and their work valued, new entrants in the art world have been known to produce art that sells for as much as work by the already known artists (Leveque, 2013). When an artist presents a piece of work, the intention is to have a connection with the audience through the work presented. The artist aims at helping others to view the world through the artist’s eyes by creating something that reflects how they feel or their opinion about a certain phenomena. While the artist may have a reason for creating a piece of art, this information is kept hidden from the audience. They in turn interpret the art depending on how they view it, how it appeals to their emotions and in doing so, they are able to determine its value
Designs on the other hand function in a manner that is the exact opposite from art. Although famous designers such as Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren are renowned for their amazing designs, their popularity does little to increase the value of their designs (Wigan, 2009). This is due to the fact that the purpose of the design is not to attract people to itself but rather to a specific product. Although hiring the designers may cost a significant amount of money, the design itself is not as valuable as art. Designs are intended to get people to perform an act such as purchasing a product. Even though a lot of money may be spend in buying the product itself, the design that led them to the product still retains its low value (Leveque, 2013).
Art is also capable of attracting a higher sense of value because it remains unique even after years of existence. Once an artist creates art, there are little chances that the work will be copied or improved (Clarke, 2010). People are only interested in art that is authentic and unique. As a result, an artist’s work will keep appreciating in value regardless of the various types of art that other artists will create. Design on the other hand may depreciate in value as it keeps on evolving. In the world of design, its success is determined on how effective the design was in sending the desired message to the audience. Often times, designs may be improved or replaced with other designs so as to ensure the desired message is received by the audience (Clarke, 2010). This means that the value of a design will depreciate or vanish all together when a design gets fully replaced.
By clarifying the idea between art and design, both artists and designers will be able to benefit and get the most out of what value society places on the two. Old and new artists will be able to benefit from their work because the audience will place value on it as art and not mix it with designs. Designers on the other hand will be able to deliver their intended message as people will be aware that unlike art, design only sends a single message. Art will therefore sell for the millions it deserves, depending on its quality, while the same millions will be spent on the products that the design is creating awareness on rather than the design itself.
Work cited
Clarke, M. (2010). The concise Oxford dictionary of art terms. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wigan, M. (2009). Global contexts. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Academia.