Actually, if the artist decides that the piece of art serves a
particular purpose, then it serves a particular purpose. Many
artists have utilized pieces of art as political expressions, for
example our own Western tradition of bardic poetry as practiced by
such writers as Yeats and Brecht. Hence the number of writers and
artists currently languishing in jail under totalitarian regimes.
> As our discussions on this list demonstrate, Extropian writings may merely
>aim to amuse, or explain a point clearly, or refer to a useful resource. So,
Or act as a visioning instrument, which I believe may be the most
important role art can play within a transhumanist context. The act
of imagining the results and/or consequences of a particular new
technology through a piece of fiction writing, for example, can
reveal new possibilities or potential pitfalls. Or, as shown by
Vernor Vinge, art can be used to propose new end goals.
Sin,
Kathryn Aegis