Here’s a clip from the 1991 documentary on author and mage William S. Burroughs during which he describes the impact of art on human consciousness on a society wide leve i.e. it changes/expands awareness of the enviroment and individuals’ interaction with it and winds up leaving a lasting effect. Examples cited include that Cezanne’s paintings and James Joyce’s prose in Ulysses were deemed incomprehensible at the time but impacted culture in such a way that a ‘tween could navigate either without undue stress.
Watch the clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TC6V6D8yUs.
And here’s an essay on the concepts broached in said clip
