A Short Essay on Art in the Furry Community
Today, I got out of a college art class, thinking about the lecture on how art benefits the community. Then I wondered, what does furry art do for it?
What is the influence of furry art? Most of us look at a furry picture, or flash, and think, "That's awesome!"--Or not. But, past that? Would you show it to a friend--beyond a close one? Not likely. So, as I'm sure a lot of us have thought of, a question arises. What is the influence of furry art? It's often considered a taboo that most don't see. To answer this question, we must bear in mind that artists put more meaning in their work than yiffing--very few people would put in quality effort for a piece that others would just paw off to.
The first answer is that furry art reaches, inspires, and moves us like all art. Yes, it only does that to us, but it affects a large multitude of people, and it gives us a feeling nothing else quite can. It shows us a new side of things--do you think the same as a furry as you do outside of being one, or one before? Chances are, the culture, and the art, have changed your thinking at least a bit. The artwork created by the furry community shows us that even within the complexity of life, there is even more complexity in the human imagination, and in ourselves.
Speaking of our culture, the second answer lies within it. Furry art is what defines the culture. Whether it's a picture, a fursuit, a story, or a flash, the art within the culture is the very thing that defines the culture. It gives it a face, something to recognize it by. It gives the community new identities and an identity for itself. Without furry art, our culture would be nothing.
And finally, furry art shows us who we really are. The artists help define ourselves. We all chose our fursonas for a reason, and the artists help bring those fursonas to life. They give them the spark needed to change imagination to encompassing one's soul. Even if you simply come on a site like Sofurry or F-list for sexual roleplaying, and nothing more (and I should hope that one's involvement would go beyond that), you are still giving yourself a new identity. Without the furry art, we would merely be human souls, seeking to be something more. With it, we are something more.
So in the end, we realize that the furry community revolves around art. That doesn't mean that its other inhabitants don't have their place; they help define it too. But, where would they be without that art? Just having another average, normal day in life? Perhaps not, but it would definitely not be the same. So the next time you read a piece of furry literature, or look at a fursuit, or judge a furry drawing or flash, think to yourself about what it is doing for our community, and to our community. And please, support it--support furry artists by buying commissions, watching the commissioners, and voting on pieces, so that the artists can be inspired, to inspire us back.