6 Pieces of Art That Open Minds—and Get Stuff Done

The modern artist David Hockney once said that “art has to move you and design does not, unless it’s a good design for a bus.” Such a polemic statement implies that there can be no blurring between pure art and usefulness. But an artwork’s function and the viewer’s interaction with it can be an integral part of its creative expression.

Product design is one example of how art and utility can work together, whether it is a clock that tells time by the fading of leaves, or high-concept cookware, such as this sculptural cheese grater. These things are pleasing to the eye, but they don’t move you the way Hockney described; they’re more like a good design for a bus than museum material.

So is it possible to get that immersive, artistic experience from