Artistic Responsibility

Assuming (and this may be a little too much) that artworks are shown
in a public space, does the artist have any responsibility? To his or
her audience? In terms of medium or message (the form and function of
yesterday's post)?

I think yes.

If an artist didn't want to be burdened with that responsibility, they
could keep their work as closed as their diary. Then it is truly art
for the artist's sake. And no one will see it.

So, what responsibility is it? To the audience, certainly, to show
them something. This almost by definition. Else why show it publicly
- alternately stated: if you want the public to see it, you must want
them to get something from it. Otherwise it's just so much more
decorative clutter that the world can do without.

Is their any responsibility in terms of medium or message? Very
little, from my point of view, but that it somehow be accessible.
After all, this is your audience, and if they can't possibly "get" the
depths of your brilliance, then it reverts to the aforementionned
decorative clutter. And there's a caveat here, as well. One can
certainly put up bad art, but why bother? It makes you look bad; it
takes away some (however little) attention from the good art out
there; and what it shows can be easily dismissed for its weaknesses.

And there sits my opinion.