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Could the furry fandom exist without art?

greygamora

greygamora

Member
I've been looking at furry art, well, since I found out about furries and the majority of my time I spend here is just looking at art. I assume it's an integral part of the community. What do you think?
 
quoting_mungo

quoting_mungo

Well-Known Member
I think it partly depends on how broadly you define “art.” It would possibly be difficult for furry fandom to exist without some form of artistic/creative works, but visual (implied to be 2D and/or purely ornamental in purpose as opposed to serving a practical function) art specifically isn’t a requirement, or we wouldn’t have blind furries. Which I’m pretty sure there are (legally blind, for sure, can’t recall if I’ve encountered anyone who mentioned being completely blind).

I mean, not gonna lie, I half burned out on art, and don’t really go browsing as much as I used to. And while I sometimes do feel like my connection to the fandom is kinda tenuous, it’s nothing to do with how much art I do or do not view.
 
Punji

Punji

Daedric Prince of Secrets
I think so. I feel the fandom is more focused on the idea of anthros than on actual visual artistic representations of them.

As long as you can imagine a fursona, you can still enjoy them!
 
Frank Gulotta

Frank Gulotta

Send us your floppy
Probably, it would be incredibly small tho and you would probably never have heard of it. You certainly wouldn't have ever SEEN it
 
Filter

Filter

ɹǝʇlᴉℲ
quoting_mungo said:
I think it partly depends on how broadly you define “art.”
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This sums it up for me. The drawings are art, obviously, but so are the costumes, the stories, the music, etc. Could the fandom exist without all these things? I'd say no, or it would at least be difficult to communicate the idea with others. If you can't share it with others, and there probably wouldn't be a fandom.

Would it exist without drawings and such? I think so. People can be imaginative and creative in other ways. But if we split hairs (split fur?) those can also qualify as art. Just not necessarily in the gallery sense.
 
Foxridley

Foxridley

A fox named Ridley
I kind of agree with Frank that it would probably be much smaller. But even if the furry fandom were not as art-focused, it’s hard to imagine a fandom of anything without somebody producing art.
 
quoting_mungo

quoting_mungo

Well-Known Member
Foxridley said:
I kind of agree with Frank that it would probably be much smaller. But even if the furry fandom were not as art-focused, it’s hard to imagine a fandom of anything without somebody producing art.
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That’s a good point - there’s plenty of fandoms based around media (used very broadly, including things like bands as well) that don’t involve visual art in the source material, and sooner or later most of them seem to spark some artwork from fans.
 
TyraWadman

TyraWadman

The Brutally Honest Man-Child
Art usually revolves around expression so if expression didn't exist there wouldn't be a whole lot of anything. But without suits and pictures? Yes, the fandom would still exist.

The idea stemmed from real animals and otherkin is a thing. If you had text-only websites you can still communicate these ideas. Same with in-person, you just might not find as many as quickly.
 
Judge Spear

Judge Spear

Well-Known Member
The genesis of the fandom and sole appeal is centered around an affinity for specifically anthropomorphic animal characters.
It is impossible for anthro characters to exist outside of artistic depictions be it literature or illustrations (the latter of which being the root of the fandom's rise as a niche).

So if you don't have that art being produced to establish or propagate a community, you haven't got anything to go on. It's like saying you're an athletic competitor with no sports to play.
 
C

Connor J. Coyote

Well-Known Member
greygamora said:
I've been looking at furry art, well, since I found out about furries and the majority of my time I spend here is just looking at art. I assume it's an integral part of the community. What do you think?
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Some could say it's not just an integral part - but in a way, the foundation of it..... and for many of us this is true like it is often times for (dare I say) - sex and sexual explorations are. I mentioned this on here (back in 2018) which kind of covered that area:
Connor J. Coyote said:
The Fandom isn't that responsible, even though many believe (as I do) that it was built up around sex and sexuality - in the first place. That said, sexual explorations and interests are part and parcel of what this Fandom is all about (for many people), as so - exploring other sexual activitites (that's outside one's own comfort zone) is educational, informative, and if anything else, entertaining.
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And so for many, (just like like sex and sexual explorations) - artwork, creativity, and "tuning up" and developing ones craft skills and abilities is a part of many people's Fandom experiences; that can often times be the reason they're a part of it.

The artwork and crafts that are created in turn, allow those that create it (and others as well that enjoy it) to explore their Fandom interests and develop their charcters further, which can bring one's fantasies and dreasms to life a bit more and enhances their enjoyment of it.
 
BSporn

BSporn

Active Member
No fandom could exist without art, and not because they need art to exist, but because people will always make art of the things they love, if there's something that has a fandom that people love their will be art. That's basically inevitable.
 
Yakamaru

Yakamaru

Silly McFly
Yup.
 
Nexus Cabler

Nexus Cabler

\ ( :v ) /
I'd very much dislike imagining the fandom without art.

A large part of the fandom thriving is that we have ways to express ourselves, and our characters or sonas, through media. It's very essential in my opinion.
 
Mambi

Mambi

Fun loving kitty cat
greygamora said:
I've been looking at furry art, well, since I found out about furries and the majority of my time I spend here is just looking at art. I assume it's an integral part of the community. What do you think?
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Well there's 2 types of furry, with a huge overlap between them: Those that are "furry art lovers" and those that are "furry suit/accessories lovers".

The second group would make out fine without art, but the first one IS art pictures so clearly would be affected.

But really, almost every fursuit furry I know loves the art too, so healthy overlap.
 
quoting_mungo

quoting_mungo

Well-Known Member
Mambi said:
The second group would make out fine without art, but the first one IS art pictures so clearly would be affected.
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That’s the thing, though - if we accept that the fursuit/accessory people would get on fine without art, are we not also applying a very narrow definition to “art?” (This is honestly one of the older conflicts in fandom, the idea that only 2D art is “real art” or has more perceived value than e.g. written work. Not saying that’s what you meant, just that it’s an adjacent thing that I’ve seen discussed for some 20 years.) Like, aren’t fursuits art? Sure as hell takes a lot of sculpting skill to make one. One-off or small-run indie/small business accessories could arguably also be called art, especially if they’re non-basic designs.

With a very narrow definition of “art,” furry fandom could come to be and live for a while without it, but as has been mentioned previously in the thread, most or all fandoms eventually lead to art being created. In that sense, I’m not sure pretty much any fandom could exist without art. Because the fandom in itself makes the art happen.
 
Mambi

Mambi

Fun loving kitty cat
quoting_mungo said:
That’s the thing, though - if we accept that the fursuit/accessory people would get on fine without art, are we not also applying a very narrow definition to “art?” (This is honestly one of the older conflicts in fandom, the idea that only 2D art is “real art” or has more perceived value than e.g. written work. Not saying that’s what you meant, just that it’s an adjacent thing that I’ve seen discussed for some 20 years.) Like, aren’t fursuits art? Sure as hell takes a lot of sculpting skill to make one. One-off or small-run indie/small business accessories could arguably also be called art, especially if they’re non-basic designs.

With a very narrow definition of “art,” furry fandom could come to be and live for a while without it, but as has been mentioned previously in the thread, most or all fandoms eventually lead to art being created. In that sense, I’m not sure pretty much any fandom could exist without art. Because the fandom in itself makes the art happen.
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That is true, gotta agree. Personally I find most fursuits are art in themselves, but yup in my post, I was referring to "art" interchangeably with "drawn pictures". My bad. <blush> But sure, I think it's apparent to anyone who sees a good fursuit that the creation has to be called "art", they're amazing and creative.
 
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