Socio-Cultural Values and Ideas in Artistic Expression - Essay Example

Influence of Socio-Cultural Values and Ideas in Artistic Expression Influence of Socio-Cultural Values and Ideas in Artistic Expression Culture is the product of man’s effort to adapt and etch a living out of his immediate environment. Culture shapes the way of life of a people and differentiates one group of people; a society with the other. Thus, culture is the defining element of a people. It is hitched on the type of environment people live. This implies that there exist cultural differences among people living in different environmental backgrounds. The social life of people revolves around their culture. People who conform to one culture are said to form a society. Ideas from a group of people are usually maintained within a cultural cocoon, which determines the extent to which the ideas are applicable in that society. The type of artistic expression that emanates from a certain society also revolves around expressing the culture and social life and ideas that are harbored by a group. Therefore, social and cultural values and ideas play an influential role in influencing the artistic expression of people (Boughton & Mason, 1999). The concept of civilization is as old as mankind, but it was not until the Greeks that civilization came to be realized. It is impossible to mention civilization without mentioning the Greeks. As ancient as Greeks are, they formed the basis of civilization through developing a culture that defied the odds at that time. The Greek idea of civilization had its roots on the philosophical thought and a developed culture that not only satisfied the people’s need to adapt to the environment but also created some time for expansion and spread of civilization. It is important to note that the Greek civilization did not sprout from politics but rather from the cultural values and ideas. It was these cultural values that have had a far reaching and lasting influence in the arts world, which is experienced to date. Religion was a major force that influenced the way people lived and expressed themselves through art. Greek religious elements are still observable in current religions like Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Greeks had a host of gods and goddesses, which influenced the type of art that existed during the time. However, religion also attracted another controversial aspect of Greeks’ cultural values and ideas. Philosophy among the Greeks was highly developed (Woodford, 1982). Greek philosophers like Socrates and Plato developed rational ideas about existence of gods and developed other forms of inquiry. Greeks also developed other forms of rationalistic thinking. Their thoughts are expressed in science and geometry, which have been used to create complex artistic expressions. Religion in Greece brought the development of themes for artistic expressions. Further, religion acted as the justifying factor in temples statutes and other forms of artistic expressions that had a religious theme. Plays and poems were written and performed in honor of the gods. Huge temples littered ancient Greek civilization, a reminder of how religion was influential in shaping artistic expressions. However, Greek artistic expressions were also influenced by the social life. Ancient Greeks life is littered with love for plays and theatrical performances. The existences of huge theatres in ancient Greece and written plays that emphasize on the social life are a good example. Visual arts in form of sculptures and architectural masterpieces were an expression of the social and cultural values and ideas of the Greeks. Sculptors produced art forms that captured the social life like muscled warriors and athletes (Woodford, 1982). Geometry and science that were ideas developed by the Greeks played a huge role in influencing the construction of buildings. Artistic expression in from of art, sculpture, and drama was a central pillar and a principle of the Greek culture. The three were influenced by the social and cultural values and ideas of the Greeks. However, Greece had witnessed a lot of transformations that included the fall of the ancient civilization and the onset of new civilizations like the Byzantine civilization. These new civilizations have had their own artistic expressions that borrow heavily from the older Greek civilizations (Woodford, 1982). The role of religion in culture and its consequent influence on the social life and development of ideas can be traced throughout the history of man and civilization. The aftermath of religious development has been the influence it has on the artistic expression of people. Although, little is documented about the civilizations that sparked after the fall of Greek civilization around 400 B.C., it is evident that artistic expression is a product of civilizations. The rise of the Roman Empire brought another type of civilization on the face of the earth. The roman culture was also heavily influenced by religion. Further, the Romans believed in the use of religion as a justifying factor for the political realignment of their kingdom. The Romans, like the Greeks used a centralized form of political establishment, which relied on religion to develop a culture of obedience. A fascinating feature of the Roman rule was the onset of monotheistic form of religion (Woodford, 1982). Cultural and social values and ideas centered on religion and most of the art, sculptures and performing arts were heavily influenced by these civilization elements. Artistic expression among the Romans was viewed and interpreted in terms of religious philosophy and values. War was a constant aspect of the Roman life and art pieces reflected the extent to which Romans glorified war. Religion played a great role in influencing the architecture of Roman Empire. Sculptures represented soldiers and great rulers in military regalia. In architecture, Romans built churches and temples that signified the existence of god among the people. Among the masterpieces of artistic expression that remain include catholic churches adorned with various sculptures and paintings that represent various religious figures. The influence of social and cultural values and ideas on artistic expressions is well captured during the Renaissance period (Gougouris, 1996). The Renaissance period marked a period of great civilizations, where religion played a great role in influencing the arts. The period also produced some of the best artworks in the world that not only represented religious beliefs but the ideas of the people. Among the great artistic expressions that remain today include various monumental architectural buildings like churches, paintings and sculptures. Further, the renaissance period produced plays and theatre performances that expressed the socio-cultural values and ideas of the people. Italy was an epicenter of the Renaissance period and the Catholic Church played a huge role in influencing the culture and ideas of the people, which in turn influenced their arts. Italy is a collection of frescos, architectural monuments and sculptures that depict the religious life of the Renaissance period (Karakasidou, 1997). Development has greatly changed the socio-cultural values and ideas of people. With time, people have experienced new challenges prompting them to adapt through cultural change. This has also influenced the thoughts and social values. Nothing captures these changes better than artistic expressions. One of the remarkable artistic expressions that have existed for a long time is performed arts. From the Greek civilization, people have tried to act and mimic real social and cultural life. Performed arts play a huge role in showcasing the ideas of a people as dictated by their socio-cultural values. It is important to note that ideas of individuals are limited by their culture and must conform to given socio-cultural values. Therefore, artistic expression also conforms to these values. The current artistic expression represents the culture and the ideas that emanate from the cultural confines (Boughton & Mason, 1999). With technological developments that characterize today’s civilization, there is a remarkable change on how people think and express their thoughts in arts. Cinemas and films are current ways of expressing the ideas of people. Abstract ideas permitted by the socio-cultural values of the society have expanded the range of artistic expression. Thus, with the current civilization the influence of social and cultural values and ideas is widely felt across a wide range of artistic forms. It is evident that socio-cultural values and ideas are a prerequisite to artistic expressions. It is clear that arts are a representation of people’s culture and the art forms present the idea of people concerning the world they live in. This observation is clearly evident in how various civilizations have produced different art forms. Further, the cultural influence on artistic expressions is displayed by how different civilizations presented their ideas in art forms. One thing remains clear; socio-cultural values and ideas have had a great influence on the artistic expressions throughout man’s development (Gougouris, 1996). References Woodford, S. (1982). The art of Greece and Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Boughton, D. & Mason, R. (1999). Beyond multicultural art education: International perspectives. London: Waxman Verlag. Gougouris, S. (1996) Dream Nation: Enlightenment, Colonization, and the Institution of Modern Greece. Palo Alto, California: Stanford university press. Karakasidou, A. (1997). Fields of Wheat, Hills of Blood: Passages to Nationhood in Greek Macedonia. Hyde Park, Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. Read More