Interestingly, a question ” What is art? What is art really for?” made me ponder before I started reading the article by Dissanyake. To me, art is paintings, performances, and anything that includes meanings and messages the artists wanted to express. Dissanyake descrived art as “not just a piece of work, but it is rather activity of making the piece”. Also “Everyone is an artist”(7). I could not agree with her more that If It involves anything, such as performing and decorating to verify themselves while some others acknowledge the one’s skill and creativity, anybody can be an artist.
Dissanyake noted that art is not only a cultural phenomenon, but also it is ” biologically developed as they evolved, to help them [human] survive”(2). In premodern time, art was used and was necessary to ritual ceremonies. It was actually, “essential for quite literally, for life’s sake” (7). I found it almost shocking that Dissanyake used biological interpretations to describe art. I wonder, If there was no ritual ceremonies, no decorating bodies and no performing for wishing a family member’s health to be better, or rain dancing during drought, could humans still have survived? Maybe, biologically, as product of evolution, humans needed to ease stress by choosing art as force to maintain their life livable.
Art is not only a means to express one’s self, but it also molds oneself. Arts were crucial for human beings to survive. Moreover, art transforms something ordinary to extraordinary. Therefore it should be “acknowledged and be encouraged to develop” (10).
I agree with you when you say, “art is painting, performances, and anything that includes meanings and messages the artist wanted to express”. But, I also think there is much more to art. Many artists put in the heart and soul into their pieces. I think that the term art is used very loosely and can be used in many different forms. Many times people get caught up in the term “art” as in painting, dancing, photography, etc. However, art can be so much more. It ultimately is up to the person to decide if their piece fits into the art category. Dissanayake did a good job describing in her opinion were the history of art came from. There is no doubt about it that art was being used thousands of years ago from ritual ceremonies to caveman painting on the walls. I really like how you said, “art is not only a means to express one’s self, but it also molds one self”. This is a great way to think about it. You did a good job on understanding the meaning of art.
Hello, Jane. I cannot totally agree with your point of view that a person’s art needs to be recognized. I agree with Dissanayake’s viewpoint, “everyone is an artist” (7). Art can express feelings and thoughts, emotions and thoughts of each person is different so each person’s understanding of art is naturally different. As long as a person can express his emotions in an artistic work, he could be an artist without the recognition of others. In addition, I believe that humans can survive without art. However, the art can make people living better and more rich. Art is not a basic physiological need but is a basic spiritual need for people. I agree with Dissanayake’s statement that is art is development by the evolution of human (2). Human began to pursue the spiritual development after solve the basic needs for survival so that art was created. In short, Arts is closely related to human development.
I absolutely think arts and artists do not require recognition of viewes as you mentioned. I only wish you could have explained a little more when you said, “art can make people living better and more rich”.:)
Though I do believe with you that art is means to express themselves, but I believe that humans could survive and would survive without their artworks. People in different times always could tell their stories the normal way. They could always just tell the story straight from their own mouths and not having to express themselves through a certain of artwork. People expressing him or herself has occurred for the longest of times and they didn’t need art to do so. I don’t believe that is the a crucial thing for people to express themselves, it also isn’t the most important thing you need in order to survive. In today’s world we are surrounded around art and it is a major part in our society today. Although we do use art in everyday aspects of life to describe what we are feeling or to tell us what is going on.
I have been trying to recall where and how I remember this quote “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life”. Because the world is imperfect, art exists. We live in our own perceptions and imaginations which our own imperfect consciousness created. You are absolutely right, we probably can live without art. But art may be constantly created in our head, as in forms of emotions or spirit. Life would be mundane and nothing would be special if art was not recognized or “did not exist”, as Dissanayake stated, “Art is psychological and emotional need”(14).