The Art of Community - Essay Example

The Art of Community 1) Field trip 1 From the different field trips that I carried out, I have gained a lot of sociological knowledge and experience about different aspects of human life. As such, I will right a personal reflection about the experiences that I have gained from each field trip. My first field trip involved strolling down the streets viewing different types of art. I observed different types of paintings and have realised that art plays different inspirational roles among the people’s lives. Bacon (225) concurs with this notion by stating that art is an important source of inspiration to the community. People are inspired by art to behave in a certain way. In many streets, I have observed that art, particulalry paintings are used for various purposes. Paintings are used for decorative purposes and they also depict various cultural elements. A good example can be drawn from the places where hip hop constitutes popular culture. It can be seen that grafitti is very common and is found in many streets. The building walls as well as the road signs are characterised by different forms of graffiti and it is apparently clear that this form of art is specifically meant for decorative purposes while at the same time depicting different cultural values. It is quite easy to deduce that art is used for communicative as well as cultural purposes due to its popularity. I have also realised that art in the form of paintings is used as a form of expression. I have noted that people in different communities have different issues they would like to express to their leaders or other members of the community and this is done through graffiti. A good example can be drawn from the slogan ‘tax the rich’ in one of the paintings and this is meant to exposes some of the social injustices that exist in different communities. Art is also used for the purposes of identity creation in different communities. 2) Field trip 2 In another field trip, I have learned that art is used for identity creation purposes. For instance, I noted that dressing constitutes a very important element about identity creation and it helps to distinguish one group of people from the other people who belong to different cultural groups. For instance, I have noted that the dress code for the Indians significantly differs from the dress code of the Europeans. When the artists design the clothes for people belonging to different cultural groups, they take into account their cultural values. Different aspects of art are visible in almost all facets of our lives. From the second trip that was mainly concerned about observing the way different types of people dress, I have noted that different cultures use dressing as the most visible way of expressing their culture, background or origin. Dressing can also be used to identify people according to their races. For instance, the Indians can be identified by their long dresses also known as sari. In addition, the type of food consumed by a group of people constitutes another form of art. From my visit to the Mexican restaurants, I observed that the food was spicier than in Caucasian restaurants. People from different walks of life not only use paintings as form of art but they also include other aspects such as type of food and dressing. 3. Filed trip 3 My third field trip involved a visit to the museum. I noted that the opening of the museum was inspired by the need to protect the culture of the Latin Americans. Different pieces of art found in the museum are specifically meant to create identity as well as to preserve the culture of a particular group.in the museum, I observed different pieces of art and they were designed in such a way that they would depict different cultural values of different groups of people. In the same vein, I also noted that different forms of art found in the museum are specifically meant to express different values of the people who belong to various cultures. I also learned that artworks in museums are meant to portray the background information about the original people who made them. The museums play a pivotal role in educating the visitors about different aspects related to culture. From this experience, I have noted that art is capable of creating a long lasting impression among the visitors and it also plays a major role in inspiring people to use it to transmit as well as to preserve their cultural values. Preservation of art is very important in our lives since it is also used by the future generations to learn about different cultural artefacts that can impact on their behaviour and ultimately their lives. In other words, I have learned that art is specifically meant to educate people about different issues that can impact on their lives. Field trip 4 My forth field trip involved a visit to the mermaid studio where I learned that art is used as a method of self expression. The people I observed at this place seemed to have different forms of tattoos. From my own observation, I have learned that a tattoo is used for self expression and it can also be used as a form of identity creation. The mermaid studio provides important insight about the significance and value of personal expression as a result of the fact that tattoos are used to express as well as to accommodate the individual needs of all the customers. Body art is very important as a result of the fact that it helps the individuals to freely express their views and opinions. From the visit to the studio, I gathered that the most popular tattoos were meant for expression of belonging or personality. I have learned from this experience that people in different communities can use different forms of art to express their views to different sections of the society. Not all people may appreciate art in the form of tattoos but this mode of expression is very popular among other groups. Tattoos remain a very important tool for self expression and individuality. Over and above, I can conclude that the different field trips that I undertook to different places have helped me to learn different aspects related to the subject of art. Many people use art to express themselves and some also use it for identity creation. Art is also used to preserve the culture of people from different groups. To a larger extent, different forms of art are specifically meant to shape the behaviour of the people belonging to different cultural groups. Works cited Bacon, Jono. The Art of Community. Farnham: O'Reilly, 2012. Internet resource. Read More