1--Charlie: What is Art? with Magritte's "The Treachery of Images"

Most of my experience is with art as a written medium than with art as a visual medium, but I'm sure at least some of the ideas carry over between the two mediums. Art is something that's done just for its own sake, without regard for personal gain or even personal survival. Every time a writer creates a work of art, he/she is creating a separate world, even if that work of art is a painting of a well-known location. Because of this, the artist has the freedom to do what the want with the piece and the viewer (or reader, etc.) is along for the ride as an esteemed guest. Without the audience to contribute their experience to the piece, the meaning is diminished or removed altogether. Art also makes one think, whether it is through subtle methods or much more overt gestures.