Art and Other Aspects of Culture and Society - Essay Example

Topic: How does art contribute to society as a whole? How is art related to other aspects of culture and society? (Religion, Philosophy, and Science)Introduction Art is an expression of human spirit. It brings beauty into the world. It is essential because of the beauty it brings. It provides us a sense of enjoyment and pleasure (Dawn, 2007). Since art is an expression, works of art have been with us since the beginning of human civilization. Some of the works of art we see around are not merely for creative purposes. They serve different functions. In the spiritual aspect, the works of art were made as offerings to gods such as the idols. Some even had their departed loved ones as gods. These were the ancestral spirits. Art is not only a decoration but a reminder to people that in death, there is another life depending on the religious belief of country or race. Society has evolved along with arts. Because arts served many purposes, it is widely understood that it is a part of humanity. The society as a whole revolves around or formed depending on the kind of art of the people in every part of the world. Art can make money and fill the mouths of many. It also shows history of man. Aside from the evolutional works of art based on religion, it emphasizes the culture of one society to another. It can promote kingdoms and can break one. Art is an expression. A work of art simply expresses an idea or emotion. It speaks. It is a concept that can be viewed without the need of human voice. Art shows emotions such as love, hate, rage, passion, etc. It also connects people from all over the world. It can wage war or stop it. Whatever the purpose is, art is here to humanize. Truly, art serves many functions; worship in religion, artifacts, idols, paintings, murals that present religious beliefs clearly define one’s faith. It also promotes science; the invention and creation of things from a laboratory gadget to spaceship sprang up from the creativity and ingenuity of man. Knowledge, wisdom, and creativity put together result to a magnificent masterpiece. Art, too in philosophy is highly useful and plays a big part. The human mind and its wisdom have produced countless artworks and products in forms of architecture, buildings, etc. The culture of every continent, country, or locality is seen in its artworks in dance, theater, paintings, movies, other art forms like weaving, ceramics, musical instruments, etc. Yet, thru time, art is there and will be here to serve mankind. Art in Religion Art is widely associated in religion because through it, artists express the truth and show their faith. Some art challenges our belief because it serves as a tool in causing us to examine our principles in light of an artists perception of truth. Throughout history, religion has made a deep impact on art. Since time immemorial, man has sought means to express himself through both art and religion. This is very evident in the discoveries of cave paintings to ancient Egyptian arts, to Middle Age and Renaissance, and even until the modern times. Works of art in ancient times served only as craft. But during the course of time, people have used it to express and concretize their spiritual beliefs and philosophy. In the middle Ages, works of images were used to symbolize religious themes and spiritual leaders. But the Renaissance period gradually deviated from society’s ideologies and focused on the individuality (Buzzle.com, 2005). Art in Science and Philosophy Art, science and philosophy are three different disciplines that man has to learn about. However, these three are interconnected to each other because they serve a unified purpose – they reflect, transform, and express human thoughts and emotions. Philosophy reflects the idea of man. Just like art, it reflects reality in relation to man’s relationship between individuals. In science, man’s wisdom has already been evident in the invention of tools and gadgets that is highly important for everyday living. Even before the human existence, the world did not stop in the empty abstraction where artists would start from nothingness. Nature and environment serve as huge springboards of science, philosophy, and art, which are capable of expressing life. Endless possibilities are present in this world. For example, a great philosopher can produce poetry and displays the beauty of his words. He, too, must possess the aesthetic gift of free associative thinking in integral images (Spirkin, nd). Hence, man cultivated such opportunity to create life even if there were obstacles due to limitation of resources. The human mind is so powerful that it is designed to have limitless energies to create and invent things. Therefore, it is vitally important in the formation of culture and society. The evident beauty of literature, poetry, painting, architecture, sculpture, and music reflects the wisdom of the great human mind. So it is unimaginable to lead a life without philosophy, science and art, because they are in any way interrelated to one another. The one who dissuades such idea is deliberately condemning himself as part of this world because he resists what art can bring and how art can change life. Further, the true artist continuously refreshes himself with the discoveries of the sciences and philosophy. While philosophy and science tend to draw us from the un-molded clay, art leads us into the world of imagery. Great minds in many philosophers and scientists indicate their interests in art themselves. Carl Marx’s philosophical views were deeply influenced by literature. Charles Darwin was interested in the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. He himself wrote poetry and fairy-tales. Leonardo Da Vinci did not settle in his paintings and sculpture alone. He too dealt with architecture and his interest in scientific observations. He made incredible strides in the area of science and invention during the 1400s (Callaway, Slate, and LaBarre, nd) Art as Integral Part of Mankind In history, art leads us to travel to different time and place. It traces back the origin of human society, and this enables us to grasp and understand our historical perspective. It gives us full view of different periods and their impact in the world. Finally, art immortalizes people, places, and events. The visual records of life experiences in forms of painting, sculpture, architecture, memorial inscriptions, murals and the like commemorate the social injustices like slavery and tyranny which make artists as historians, documenting life in every medium. Even in the rise of new art forms like photography and digital imaging, the artist has never stopped in his quest for expression and life. References: Callaway, B., Chip, S., LaBarre, K. “Intermediate Science.” Library Thinkquest.com. nd. Web. 8 Dec 2009. Dawn, W. 2007. “The Importance of Art.” AC (Associated Content) Society, 2 Sept. 2007. Web. 7 Dec 2009. . “Exploring the Connection Between Art and Spirituality.” Buzzle.com, Intelligent Life on the Web. 2005. Web. 6 Dec 2009. . Read More