The Beauty of Art - Research Paper Example

The Beauty of Art Introduction It is common knowledge that art is a way of communication. Every form of art is it written, spoken or drawn represents a certain idea or concept that the artist intended to put across (Diffey 40-45). Plato Socrates, as much as he did not entirely disagree with this, brought up a debate regarding texts, claiming it to be inhuman. By this, he was suggesting that the meaning that an artist attaches to an artwork remains to be the same. It never changes at all. This would suggest that art is dead. But as we embark on the study of the artworks of one of the most renowned artist, we will discover the opposite. This essay seeks to shed light on some of the artworks done by Andison, an artist of Canadian origin. Through these, together with the themes therein, it will be discovered that text, as a form of art, is not exactly or entirely what Plato Socrates made it look like. Discussion Art as we all know is a piece of creative representation of thoughts and ideas either in form of text or images, with the intention of communicating something to the viewers. According to Plato’s Socrates, art is inhuman, artificial and very much away from reality art. This includes text. On the other hand when we study the works of Andison, it’s trying to counter the theory of Plato. It is showing the flexibility and how human and real art is. Basing our arguments on the contrast brought out by Andison about the opinion of Plato, we can have different opinions as well about the reality of art. It is so clear from an artist point of view that what matters the most is how the work of art is interpreted considering each detail of the information given either through texts or any other artistic work. In the heartbreak scrabble game, Andison is trying to bring out the fact that art is flexible contrary to Plato who thinks that any written word or piece text is rigid. It is showing how one can derive many words from the word heartbreak. By sliding the tiles of this scrabble we see the freedom which comes along with art inform of a text. She is also using a text to prove that text is not dead, this is shown by how imaginary one becomes on sliding the tiles of the scrabble. This means that a single text can grow. This is also clearly brought out by the piece showing a woman in a flower garden. It is through this that we can derive different meanings and of what the artist is communicating. It brings different imaginations and different feelings on viewing it. From the word game, “heartbreaking”, it can also be seen that art is human, contrary to Plato’s idea that art is inhuman. This is clear when the word heart is manipulated to bring about a different meanings and feelings. Naturally heartbreak is a reality which is very painful and disastrous to a human being. When it is used in a playful way for example in a word game as shown by Andison, it shows that we can use this experience to get something better, the same way we can manipulate this word to bring about different meanings. This also shows the reality found in art about life (Diffey 45-53). Andison is trying to show that life is not only sweet but also it has so better side of it. She also comes up with a solution of how to handle the bitter side of life. This is an indication that art is an important aspect of human life contrary to Plato who intentionally wants to create an image of a text as something which is not important. It can also be argued that the word game is symbolic to the contradicting happenings in life. This is to counter the idea that text is not real. Heartbreak as an experience is accompanied by feelings of sadness and sorrow on the other hand; scrabble is a game that brings along refreshment and a feeling of joy. This means that sad situations can be manipulated to bring about good feelings (Perry and Wood 100-234). It can also to show contrast in social, economical, and other aspects of life in the world today. It shows the gap that exists between different people. Some are very rich while others are absolutely poor, some are happy while others are very sad. This shows how art is realistic to the way of life of the people today. Beauty is one of the major themes in the “what is in a name”. From the work of Andison we see a woman beautifully placed in a flower garden. This can be interpreted in a variety of ways. By considering the relationship between the woman and the flower garden, the feeling that comes along with it is the feeling of love. In many occasions we find that flowers represent love. This piece of art is symbolic. It symbolizes the position of a woman in the society. It shows that a woman should bring a feeling of refreshment to the people, that a woman is a symbol of romance. It brings out clearly the beauty of life when a woman is close. The feeling derived from a flower garden should be the same feeling brought by the presence of a woman. Through the word game piece, it can be seen that art is not stagnant and static, as suggested by Plato. Andison creates the impression that art, and in particular text, is dynamic. This means that the meanings attached to text can be tinkered with in many ways by different people. For instance, something that is “heartbreaking” can be said to be tragic. On the other hand, it can refer to a painful thing or situation. It can come in many ways and it can flow towards many directions. She is bringing this out by the different interpretations that can be derived from one text. It describes how art can bring about feelings of pleasure and different moods. It can also be used to pass across different lessons. This means that a text has a very wide range of meanings, and this brings about the diversities and dynamics of art (Nhat 67-113). Another factor that makes text human, are the themes carried by it, since they are connected to humanity. For instance, in the piece of art known as “heartbreaking”, Andison brings out the feelings carried by people in everyday today life. She is trying to put across the fact that people go through different situations and circumstances that leaves pain in their hearts. The other theme seen here is the provocative nature of art. For example, when you consider the woman at the flower garden, what comes into your mind is most probably peace or love. In some cases there are pieces of art that stirs up a feeling of sadness and sorrow, anger or even joy. When we also take an architecture piece of art in construction and building, a building can be used to communicate very many things. The way a bedroom is made is not the same way the kitchen is usually is designed. This illustration can be used to show how different designs of art can be used to bring different feelings and at the same time different meanings. The freedom given to the artist has highly contributed to self expressionism that has gradually led to development of technology. When you consider the technology of art used in some few years ago compared to the work of art by Andison, there is a very big improvement. Art and in particular text, is a very important feature of communication. It’s one of the most dynamic and flexible tool that can be used in any situation. The good thing with art is that one has the freedom to use anything to make a representation of an ideology. I think that Andison is right. This is because in some instances text is not fictional but factual (Nhat 45-104). When many people think of art what comes is not their minds first is sketches and drawings, when you analyze deeply on what art entails you will clearly come to a conclusion that art is an important tool in the society. It is a lifestyle. This is because everyone uses it in everyday life even unconsciously. Conclusion In conclusion, it is worth noting that art is close to humanity, for it is part of a human being. It carries feelings and expressions that are formed in human mind long before a piece of art is brought into existence. Just as it can be seen from the above discussion, different people have different interpretations of works of art (Perry and Wood 134-265). This is what makes art, including text, dynamic and very much alive. In every piece of heart, there is a hidden meaning, and that forms what is normally referred to as the theme. However, the interpretation of the same highly relies on the context within which it is presented. Works Cited Diffey, Terry. Tolstoys "What is Art?". London: Routledge, 2014. Nhat, Thich. The Art of Communicating. New York: Harper Collins, 2013. Perry, Gillian and Paul Wood. Themes In Contemporary Art. Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2004. Read More