ViaticalTarsier said:
Ok stimulate the mind was a bad choice of words lol. I'm not sure how to word it...... Sure everything stimulates the mind. Games stimulate the mind but they are meant to be entertainment and they have a physical aspect to them, and are meant to be played which is why I don't consider them art.
Art has no use to me and it's useless basically. I took an Art Appreciation class in college and to me it was the dumbest thing I've ever taken. I'm sorry but you can't convince me that looking at a painting and reflecting on the artist work or trying to interpret it is of any use.
Actually I would be kind of curious to what the implications to art which are important beyond simple aesthetics as you said. I can't think of anything besides to look at in a "oooh isn't that pretty" kind of way.
First off, your right, I won't be able to convince you, so I won't.
Secondly, I completely abhor most people's belief that Art requires education (That is complete bullshit). No matter how knowledgeable of the craft you are, it won't change the fact that art is 100% subjective... i.e it can not be thought, only imprinted on a persons mind (basically forcing an opinion).
How art is received is also 100% subjective. Meaning, it's just as likely a huge lavished Mural will generate as much appreciation as a blotch on a page (I personally think art requires effort more than balls, but again, it's subjective and I guess it still stimulates me...).
Anyway, it is very hard to give a specific example as no one piece of art can be identified as a focal point. The impact of art tends to come in generational gaps, but usually so subtle it takes decades before people can even see an impact. Evolutions in architecture and how buildings evolved in size and shape were due just as much to art as it was to understanding physics.
Do you listen to music? Do you watch films? Do you read books? Has any of those had an impact on your outlook on life. Did they affect the way you dress, the people you hang around with or the things you seem to be drawn too?
How about your bedroom, what do you "decorate" it with? What color scheme did you choose or posters do you have? How about the way you configured your room, does it have any significance of what object is placed where, beyond practicality?
Even if you could only answer a fraction of those questions, you will still be admitting to been influenced by some form of art, or something derived from an artistic development.
Now imagine the impact of these subtle nuances on a much larger scale (a country) and over a much longer period of time (a decade to a century). It is inevitable that these things would have an impact on culture (whether it be through adversity or complacency) which ultimately dictates how society evolves and right back down to how you live your life.