Art is most often seen as an adornment to everyday life. An entertainment, a delightful distraction perhaps, but not an uncovery of the essential character of the world. To uncover reality, we instead focus on accurate description and the discovery of facts. Yet these descriptions frequently do not settle the matter and can often lead to conflict and dispute, and all the while we are no closer to agreement on the essential nature of reality.
Should we instead see art as a means of getting closer to the essence of what it is to be alive? Could we successfully refocus culture so that art was the primary means of making sense of ourselves and our reality? Or is this an empty romantic illusion that would leave us poorer, less productive, and less able to fend for ourselves in the world?