Unit 3 – what is art for?
Comments(3) The article “What is art for?”, written by Ellen Dissanayake, tried to interpret the history of Western art and told us the view’s change of people in different time. The most important thing why she written this book is that she wanted to show her own view and experience about art for life’s sake. I deeply agree with her ideas and smart explanation in many parts. however, I still have some question about her article and views about art.
Ellen said that “…hence is relative, even discardable, it should not be forgotten that the arts have always been with us. So have ideas of beauty, sublimity, and transcendence, along with the verities of the human condition: love, death. memory, suffering, loss, desire, reprieve, and hope.”(26) She wanted to tell people arts are always been with people and people can always figure out where the arts are in their lives. No matter where you live or what difficult things you have to face, you can always keep moving with arts.
The following paragraph, Ellen strengthened her ideas “…there is valid and intrinsic association between what humans have always found to be important, and certain ways —called the arts —that they have found to manifest, reinforce, and grasp this importance.” (26) She developed her claims that the importance of found arts. Looking from her words about arts, we can know that her attitude is positive and optimistic. People who get suffering read and know her ideas about arts, he or she may get stronger against difficulty.
However, the world is not as beautiful as what Ellen said. Sometimes, people could not find his own value though arts. When some one do criminal or immoral things, it will be never found its value and art. If people who died because of his crime about killing others, his death will just be the death. We definitely cannot figure out its value It is easy to break what her ideas before like death. So I have to ask: Does everything have its value or art even though people spit on it?
I have to say your blog was a very challenging one, I defiantly like where you went with your blog. I agree with what Ellen said arts have always been with us.; Whether it be with death, love , hate, memory, or suffering. I guess it is just hard to grasp the understanding that art be a form of actual existence in human nature. Before I would like think of art just as a beautiful picture that has so many memories and stories to tell within. Now Ellen has opened up a new world. I have to say that I agree with your reasoning that the world is not as beautiful as Ellen stated. I personally cannot say that death is a form of art. I do think death obviously is inevitable. But in no way there is art in that?
Hi, Alisha!
Definitely, we have the common point on arts. Just like you, I agree with Ellen’s view toward to art in most parts. Arts have always been with us no matter what they are. Like love, hate, memory, or suffering. Most arts are beautiful things in many cases. However, in Ellen’s article, she said that some negative things could be arts too. In my opinion, people have the right to accept or deny something. I cannot recognize these things as arts by myself. Even though artists do not agree with my point, I hold my view about arts forever. You said in no way there is art in that. I have to say, just like every coin has its two sides, different people can have different views about arts.
I enjoyed your post and thought you brought up some great points that I never analyzed while reading Ellen Dissanayake’s paper. The point you talked about that caught me by surprise was how the dishonest and unethical people in the world create a different sense of art. I do agree with that. Since I believe art is what you make of it. But what makes it different? Figuring out exactly what kind of art different people create sounds impossible. Or can you determine the person by the form of art they are creating? I do think every art piece has a value, but not every value has an art to go along with it. Art differs from person to person, and thus I think it cannot distinguish a person of good or bad from the art piece they create. But I do agree with you, art is and will always be with us.