The Oddities of Museums

     All of this contemplation about art has really led me to realize how odd museums, especially art museums, really are. As humans, we give money to walk into a building and look at pictures we could easily see online or in books. Not all of these works were even intended to have an audience. Some pieces were created for others to enjoy, but I suspect that most of them were created when the artist felt they needed an outlet for emotional release. In this sense, I feel that if I were an artist, having my painting hung in a museum would be somewhat embarrassing. Imagine that you are upset and paint a magnificent piece. While most people will not understand its meaning because it is so abstract, you still know that you bared your soul on the canvas and are letting the eyes of the public tear it apart. Nevertheless, why do humans find art museums, or any museums for that matter, so fascinating? After all, people of ancient times would most likely laugh if they knew their shoe or toilet was on display. I suppose people enjoy museums partially because of reputation society has created for museums and galleries. People are made to think that they are intelligent and sophisticated places, and that is most likely why people force themselves to go to a museum, even if they know they will be bored. Humans are curious creatures, and they often go to art museums while on vacation so they can brag that they went. They would not want to hear friends tell about their museum visits and not have any stories or experiences to share themselves. Likewise, humans like to look at artifacts because their curiosity drives them to know about the past. People understand that they can never know what the distant past was like, but they are so intrigued by the mysterious goings-on of another time that they will pay twenty dollars to go see the artifacts from the period. What type of museums do you enjoy more, those that display only art or those that display artifacts?