Michael Chilcutt

What Does Art Do?

I will, from time to time, share something I have read in this space. I don’t intend this to be a book report or a review. Rather, this is intended to be an appreciation of the reading. 

I recently spent a snowy weekend indoors with an interesting—and relatively short—read that I feel compelled to share: What Art Does: An Unfinished History by Brian Eno and Bette A. (Bette Adriaanse).

I was initially drawn to the book because of Brian Eno. As a musician, producer, and visual artist, his work with David Bowie, U2, and Talking Heads has influenced me for decades. The co-author, Bette A., is a Dutch writer, editor, and cultural thinker whose work centers on creativity, art, and how humans make meaning. I discovered her through this book, and her ideas about creativity and meaning-making strongly resonate with me.

The book opens with a simple but powerful statement:

“We all make art all the time, but we don’t usually call it that.”

This quote immediately invites everyone into the idea of being an artist. For me, seeing art everywhere is second nature. I am an artist, educator, and researcher, and art influences nearly all of my thinking. One of the book’s strengths is its clarity and accessibility in presenting abstract ideas. Early on, the authors ask the central question that frames the book: What does art do?

Defining Art

The authors begin by reminding us that art exists in many forms—novels, sculptures, symphonies, albums, paintings, films, ballets, plays, poems, and operas. They offer a definition that reframes art in a human, inclusive way:

“…all kinds of things when somebody does more than is absolutely necessary for the sake of the feeling they get from doing it.”

In other words, art is anything that goes beyond pure function for the sake of feeling. That feeling may come from making it or sharing it. Humans have done this for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence of creative activity—objects made for more than survival—dates back nearly 60,000 years.

We need art because we need help understanding our emotions. The authors quote neuropsychologist Mark Solms, who states: “Emotions play a fundamental role in our survival.”

If emotions are fundamental to who we are, and art is a primary way we experience and communicate those emotions, then art is not just decorative—it is essential to our emotional survival. This was the book’s core takeaway for me and strongly confirmed my existing beliefs.

What Art Does

The book outlines several key ideas that help explain what art does and why it matters.

Art creates space for meaning-making.

Art is not always about the meaning of the finished object. Often, it is about the process. Art creates space to reflect, interpret, and discover. The best art does not tell us what to think; it uses metaphors that invite meaning-making. Because the viewer must do some work, the experience often lingers long after the artwork itself.

Art builds collective memory.

Art shapes culture over time. Artifacts from past civilizations show what those societies valued and believed. Thus, art is both personal expression and a social record. It reveals what people found meaningful or sacred in a given era. This collective nature gives art its power.

Art acts as social glue.

Art also connects us through shared experience. Few moments illustrate this better than singing along with thousands of others at a concert. In those moments, individuality fades, and a sense of unity emerges. Art has the ability to bind people together in ways that are difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Art is about play.

I often take art too seriously, and that seriousness can inhibit free expression. The book reminds me that art can—and should—be playful. Through play, we access parts of ourselves we may not even realize exist. We feel emotions we didn’t know we had and express ideas we didn’t know we understood.

Art is a way of knowing.

This idea resonated deeply with me, particularly because I used art as a reflective practice in my dissertation. While art creates open space for interpretation, it can also be a direct way of thinking. In my reflective paintings, I worked through my leadership style, using imagery to represent concepts such as balance and connectedness. Art allowed me to think in ways words alone could not.

We feel before we know.

The book’s final idea is one we often forget: emotional experience comes before intellectual understanding. Art speaks to feeling first; through feeling, we arrive at knowledge.

Final Thoughts

What Art Does reaffirmed my core belief: art is fundamental to being human. It is not a luxury, but an essential force that helps us feel, connect, remember, and understand. In a world focused on efficiency and function, the book insists that engaging with art is vital to a richer, more meaningful human experience.