How is painting important?

 

There are two points of view for every painting, the painter and the viewer.

Considering the viewer the important part of the painting is to create something someone would care about and give some value. The more people that relate positively the better job you have done. (unless your goal was a negative reaction or something else)

Considering the painter the important part could be many things, the satisfaction of producing art, communication, therapeutic, compulsion, on and on. When the artist has satisfied himself and affected the viewer he has accomplished what is most important in painting. Indifference and lack of any effect on the viewer is a failure.

Some may say the most important part of the painting is the artist being satisfied with their work and accomplishing their goals whatever they may be with no thought of the viewer. That could also be a valid point of view but most artists most of the time will have the viewer in mind.

So the most important part of the act of painting is accomplishing artistic goals and achieving some cognizant effect in the perception of the work. How you do that is another question.

I usually give them what they want and make it pretty then do one just for me.

To me painting as an art form is an essential science that all visual art and design is based upon. It is the playing field to test out, express, and expand on all aspects of visual design. It integrates drawing, color theory, composition, technology.

 A painter masters the use of shapes, lines, texture, silhouette, and compositional modes like rhythm, symmetry, offset, balance/imbalance to express the otherwise inexpressible. It uses the most basic tools of visual design to create allegory, illusion, metaphors, connections in the deep psyche of the viewer, that either work to please us or to stir us in some way.

 To me for these reasons, painting is the highest and purest form of visual art.