Is typography and art?

I like typography and I do understand the need for it for communication and exchange of information purposes. The need of clarity and the grid restrictions are a bit of an issue for me as I love free hand work.
where is the limit for grids and do we always need them?
I know depending on the the type of information presented the right font and lay out need to be use but do letter always need to be clear and readable?
There is so many ways to present letters, so is typography an art?