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Arts
Art, the centre of the universe
By Chak
Consider a society without it, and you have some idea of it’s central role in life all around us
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The word "culture" gets thrown around a lot these days. When a person visits a museum or art gallery, he or she is a "cultured" person going to a "place of culture." One might think, then, that culture is something found exclusively in the domain of oil paintings and film festivals, but the word actually encompasses a much broader meaning, especially in the anthropological sense.
"Culture" is defined as a set of adaptations that human beings have developed for dealing with their environment. These adaptations include society, tools, laws, infrastructure, communal hierarchy, family, etc. Some of these concepts are not entirely limited to the human species and have been noticed in dolphins, apes and most of the sharper knives in the animal kingdom’s drawer.
Nevertheless, of all these indicators of cultural development, the most uniquely and exclusively human is art. There are some remarkable things about art that distinguish it above all of humankind's other quirks as the most quintessentially human: Art is found and practiced universally. Human beings have an uncanny ability to understand and relate to art beyond any other form of communication. Art is manifested through all forms of self-expression: music, painting, storytelling, etc. But why and how does art do all these things and more?
Art is about representing deeper meaning through an independent, external process, but there is also a more profound connection to our thoughts that the artistic process reveals. There are two things that archaeology has conceded it will never find: An atheist society, and a people without any kind of art form. The first has been argued, while the second has never even seen a shred of evidence to disprove it. Art is so omnipresent in our society that to think of a normal life without it is impossible.
Imagine no music or dance. Sure, that might be depressing, but we could live without it. What about paintings? Almost as depsresing, but we would be able to survive, no matter how boring it got. No stories? Here's where it gets tough. Without any kind of engaging literature, learning would be next to impossible, our children would grow up without discovering how to unlock their higher mental processes and without valuable outlets for imagination and curiosity. When we take away design, the final nail is driven into the coffin of modern society. No architects or designers would create more elaborate buildings than heaps of wood and stone, clothes into simple lengths of fabric. We would be below even our Neolithic ancestors, devoid of inspiration, creativity, or the capacity for imagination. A society without art is hardly a society at all.
Human beings have an uncanny ability to understand and relate to art beyond any other form of communication. Once, a foreign visitor showed up in London in the Elizabethan era on a mission of diplomacy, but was unable to speak any English. Nonetheless, history relates to us that this individual, upon returning to his native country, was able to explain a Shakespearean drama he had seen at the Globe theatre, and appreciate the individual performances of the actors. In terms of expressing emotion, actors are veritable super-communicators, able to convey feelings or tell a story to an audience with even the subtlest gesture, stance, or inflection. It could even be proposed that art is a form of expression purer than our contemporary written systems of languages. When one draws the arched wings of a bird in flight with just a few lines, our synapses work their magic, and it becomes “bird,” in whatever language applies. This simple collection of lines suddenly becomes a universally understood concept.
A human being naturally thinks in pictures and sensations, not words. This is what makes art a globally spoken language. Three dimensional art is manifested through all forms of self-expression: music, painting, storytelling, etc. Art can be practiced by everyone, whether a carpenter or a poet, or even a man relating a memory to a friend. There is artistry in even the most practical of occupations. Consider a craftsperson making furniture. Such a person, if any good, will always consider efficiency of design and aesthetics, striving to make his or her work attractive. If the same dull, functional chair is made every day, the craftsperson becomes little more than an organic machine, churning out objects. Humans are so adverse to these kinds of tasks that we have invented countless mechanisms to do them for us, and even then, most of us would rather have a lovingly handcrafted seat then one designed by a man, yet made by a robot. This seemingly illogical value which we attach to art is one reason why it is practiced in such a variety of forms. Art serves to reflect life itself, establishing within us a deeper, more profound connection to our natural thought process. Art is omnipresent, universally understood, and exists on multiple levels within almost every pursuit. Art is quintessentially human, a cultural adaptation which enables us to convey ideas to any individual regardless of background. The artistic process is one that connects us to ourselves, allowing us to recognize and resolve our own emotions while selflessly projecting them for the benefit of any audience. Art connects people, strengthens the individual, confirms the intangible, and clarifies existence.
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