If Everyone’s Comfortable, What’s the Point?
Cesar Cruz said it best: “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” If that doesn’t sit well with you, maybe it’s doing exactly what it should.
We don’t make art to keep things neat and tidy. We make art to get under the skin, to shake things loose, to reach the people who need it most.
The world is already filled with noise designed to pacify, distract, and lull us into complacency. Good art does the opposite.
The Work That Stays With You
Think about the paintings, the films, the books that changed you. Did they soothe you, or did they challenge you? Did they whisper, or did they shove you into an entirely new way of seeing?
Some pieces pull you in like a refuge. Others push you out of your comfort zone. The best work does both.
If a piece unsettles you, it’s worth asking: Am I uncomfortable because it’s untrue? Or because it’s too true?
Good Art Doesn’t Apologize
I don’t believe in making work that just sits there, behaving itself. Art is meant to provoke, reveal, demand something of the viewer. And yes, sometimes, that means making people uncomfortable.
But that discomfort? That’s where the work is being done. That’s where transformation happens.
Your Turn: What’s the Last Piece of Art That Unsettled You?
I want to hear about it. What’s the last painting, sculpture, performance—anything—that got under your skin and refused to leave?
Save this for when you need a reminder that art isn’t here to play nice. And if you know someone who needs this, send it their way.
#ArtThatSpeaks #DisturbTheComfortable #ComfortTheDisturbed #DeborahScottArt
