In the market, a rose is a rose is a rose. The artist has created his or her perception of beauty. It is the job of the artist to communicate and each artist and buyer may not be using the same language. To most entrepreneurs, the bottom line is what makes the business viable. If the profit motive cannot be established, conventional wisdom would suggest the business should not be maintained.
Artwork is a business.
Artwork is offered for sale. Some artists depend on sales to survive. But if the artist sold nothing, he or she would continue to produce product. It is a matter of fulfilling, not the expectations of the buyer, but the inner need of the artist. I know that if I keep trying, I will find that satisfaction of creating what I feel in such a way that others can feel it as well.