The Importance of Art

[placebo]

What is the importance of art in your opinion? Whether it be in general or personally?

I ask this because this morning my sister said "I don't care about arts" in regards to recent cuts in arts programs by our PM here in Canada. I was mortally offended inside, but all I managed to say was something as lame as "well if you get rid of all the arts in the world you'd see how important it is."

Well, anyway. What would you respond?

How much does art matter to you, or does it at all?
What is the use of art?

[Uberfuhrer]

Art is a slice of what goes on in my mind -- at least artwork created by me.

Every other work of art is irrelevant.

And if you're talking about modern art made by people who are actually not good at art and invent some wild interpretation of it to impress their girlfriends, well, that's not art, that's just junk made to appeal to the gullible.

[kuranes]

Pan_Sonic000's sig line - "Art is simply man's desperate effort to give shape to his most clairvoyant dreams." I like that.

After the Eiffel tower was built someone asked what its purpose was, in a scoffing way. Its existence is its own purpose.

I agree with the OP that some philistine's will never "get it" though, regardless of the fact that there is admittedly some pretension in the art sector, as there is in others.

Realizing all of the above wouldn't stop me from chuckling at a line like "I write to understand" when I'm in a certain mood, though, even though I believe in the sincerity.

[kyuuei]

I'm an art nut. I love inspiring art, and albeit I have my own ideals on what's beautiful or not, I can't imagine my world without it.

[Jack Flak]

Most "art" is shit. But I like art.

[bluemonday]

What is the importance of art in your opinion?

Art is a pathway to the unconscious.

[Uberfuhrer]

Art is a pathway to the unconscious.

Surely, there is more than one path.

[bluemonday]

Surely, there is more than one path.


hence "a" pathway, not "the" pathway

Art is only important to human development after more pressing physical needs have been met. Just as you have to secure consciousness, before pondering the imponderables of the unconscious. It is a luxury even to debate how much we spend on it, when so many people don't have the essentials of existence.

That sounds deeper than it's meant to....

[INTJMom]

What is the importance of art in your opinion? Whether it be in general or personally?

I ask this because this morning my sister said "I don't care about arts" in regards to recent cuts in arts programs by our PM here in Canada. I was mortally offended inside, but all I managed to say was something as lame as "well if you get rid of all the arts in the world you'd see how important it is."

Well, anyway. What would you respond?

How much does art matter to you, or does it at all?
What is the use of art?
I used to think like your sister because I didn't know any better. I guess I didn't have much exposure to the fine arts when I was young, though I was exposed to music, at least on the folk and popular level.

I read recently that studies have shown that children who learn to play a musical instrument do better in school.
I mention this because when schools cut arts programs, the music programs are usually included in the mix.

Piano Lessons for Children: Learning to Play a Musical Instrument is Good for Children (http://musicappreciation.suite101.com/article.cfm/piano_lessons_for_children)
"Improved school performance. In 2000, Francis Rauscher published research indicating that classroom keyboard lessons causes long-term enhancement of the spatial-temporal reasoning abilities of children (Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15, 215-228). In plain English, this means that learning to play the piano helped kids understand concepts behind science, math, and even engineering."
In fact, this page lists 6 reasons why music lessons are beneficial to children.


Music and Your School-age Child (http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/schoolage_music.html)
Research has shown that children who are actively involved in music (who play it or sing it regularly):
* Do better in reading
* Learn coordination, goal-setting, concentration, and cooperation
* Are more likely to do better in math and science because music helps build reasoning skills and cognitive development, which are important to both
* Get along better with their peers and have higher self-esteem
* Are more likely to go to college
One study demonstrated that second-grade students who were given keyboard training while also using math software scored higher on proportional math and fractions tests than students who used the software alone. And students who have been involved in public school music programs score higher on their SATs than those who don't.

[placebo]

hence "a" pathway, not "the" pathway

Art is only important to human development after more pressing physical needs have been met. Just as you have to secure consciousness, before pondering the imponderables of the unconscious. It is a luxury even to debate how much we spend on it, when so many people don't have the essentials of existence.

That sounds deeper than it's meant to....

I disagree... I'm curious as to where the idea of art being a luxury comes from. I see art as rather basic actually--it's been around since cavemen. It's a part of human history and dates back way before philosophy, which I know many people like to consider a luxury. There is so much simplicity in creating music with whatever you have, or creating a sculpture or a drawing. Perhaps getting an extensive art collection/gallery is extravagant and a luxury, but not all art is so unaccessable.

I used to think like your sister because I didn't know any better. I guess I didn't have much exposure to the fine arts when I was young, though I was exposed to music, at least on the folk and popular level.

I read recently that studies have shown that children who learn to play a musical instrument do better in school.
I mention this because when schools cut arts programs, the music programs are usually included in the mix.

Piano Lessons for Children: Learning to Play a Musical Instrument is Good for Children (http://musicappreciation.suite101.com/article.cfm/piano_lessons_for_children)
"Improved school performance. In 2000, Francis Rauscher published research indicating that classroom keyboard lessons causes long-term enhancement of the spatial-temporal reasoning abilities of children (Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15, 215-228). In plain English, this means that learning to play the piano helped kids understand concepts behind science, math, and even engineering."
In fact, this page lists 6 reasons why music lessons are beneficial to children.


Music and Your School-age Child (http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/schoolage_music.html)
Research has shown that children who are actively involved in music (who play it or sing it regularly):
* Do better in reading
* Learn coordination, goal-setting, concentration, and cooperation
* Are more likely to do better in math and science because music helps build reasoning skills and cognitive development, which are important to both
* Get along better with their peers and have higher self-esteem
* Are more likely to go to college
One study demonstrated that second-grade students who were given keyboard training while also using math software scored higher on proportional math and fractions tests than students who used the software alone. And students who have been involved in public school music programs score higher on their SATs than those who don't.


I remember studies like these. I think it's great to have music in your life, so that these studies can encourage people to teach kids music is awesome. And points like these are probably more likely to show people who don't naturally have an affinity for the fine arts the importance it can have. Thanks for the links :)

Art is a slice of what goes on in my mind -- at least artwork created by me.

Every other work of art is irrelevant.

And if you're talking about modern art made by people who are actually not good at art and invent some wild interpretation of it to impress their girlfriends, well, that's not art, that's just junk made to appeal to the gullible.

That's interesting... so art is very personal then isn't it?

Haha well I dunno about modern art, there's a lot I like, but PostModern art is usually quite a bit senseless I think.


Pan_Sonic000's sig line - "Art is simply man's desperate effort to give shape to his most clairvoyant dreams." I like that.

After the Eiffel tower was built someone asked what its purpose was, in a scoffing way. Its existence is its own purpose.

I agree with the OP that some philistine's will never "get it" though, regardless of the fact that there is admittedly some pretension in the art sector, as there is in others.

Realizing all of the above wouldn't stop me from chuckling at a line like "I write to understand" when I'm in a certain mood, though, even though I believe in the sincerity.

I like that quote and that concept. Trying to translate an intangible and ideal dream into some materialistic creation. Quite an endeavour. Also like the idea of the art's existence as its own purpose. Hahah and I agree with the rest :yes:


I'm an art nut. I love inspiring art, and albeit I have my own ideals on what's beautiful or not, I can't imagine my world without it.

:)

Most "art" is shit. But I like art.

Haha, yea "art" can be quite ill-defined.

Art is a pathway to the unconscious.

Interesting :)

[GZA]

What was worst about Harper's art cutbacks was that he said "ordinary people" do not relate to art, which I think is utter bullshit, and I think it's stupid that he isn't respecting artists as "ordinary" people, as if they are less or soemthing. I think cutting back in arts in Canada particularly is a bad idea, but thats political, and this is about art, so I'll put it aside unless you want to discuss it.

What is the importance of art? The short answer is that it is important because it is awesome. The other importance is that it gives some identity and meaning to things. I was in Chicago this summer and I think now, what would it be without the sculptures and museams of Millenium Park? They make the city. The architecture makes the city. Business could go on as usual if it wasn't stunning and artistically beautiful in it's architecture and parks, but it is elevated to so much more by it's art. Chicago is also famous for it's music history. Art is part of culture, culture is very important. If the art suffers, the culture suffers too. Maybe thats all part of evolution, but I think it is also regressive to turn it off completely. Stopping evolution of art would be to not let it change, stopping it altogether o partially is just bad for culture.

But Canada is somewhat of a unique case because our culture is always on the verge of being taken over by the US culture, so I personally think the cut back on arts is a bad idea. Without government support of art and artists, they would not be able to do what they do. If they stayed invisible our culture would surely get overwhelmed by the US.

[sleeptowin]

I'm not sure really if art as a concept is important really. I mean, one could say that art is just a tool of sorts, and depending on what kind of person you are, and what kind of needs you have, art (in all of it's shapes) has varying degrees of importance.

[Uberfuhrer]

That's interesting... so art is very personal then isn't it?

Not necessarily. I just don't like art unless it's created by me. Why in the hell should I care about other people's art?

[ZiL]

Without art, we could not have convoluted and long-winded pseudo-intellectual conversations on what art is. And that would be a terrible loss.

Sarcasm aside (sorry, I took a lot of art history classes, and all that time reading theorists and historians can make a person never want to see another "meaning of art" discussion in their life because there are some self-righteous bullshit critics out there who ruin the discourse, lol), I mourn cutting funds for the arts. The arts give people a different kind of way to explore their imaginations, emotions, ideas or creative abilities, and when you take away classes, you remove avenues for that and instill in people the crochety idea that "well, it's all useless frivolessness if you're not amazing enough to become a professional, anyway." It's sad when most people are made to feel that they shouldn't create unless they're some amazing talent. Similarly, I dislike it when people use art as their own personal path to pretentious exclusivity.

I remember in afterschool in elementary there were all kinds of great classes - crocheting, painting, sewing, music. In high school there was chorus and photography. I learned a lot of neat skills that allowed me to be able to make a lot of my own things later on, and I met a lot of cool people too.

[whatever]

art is one of the only ways to see the world through someone else's eyes. take that away and we lose a connection to history and others.

[sleeptowin]

I was just thinking, how many ways are there to see the world through other peoples eyes? Besides the arts in all of it's shapes.

[Jack Flak]

I was just thinking, how many ways are there to see the world through other peoples eyes? Besides the arts in all of it's shapes.
That's my problem perhaps. I look at it with my own eyes, and judge it endlessly.

[sleeptowin]

That's my problem perhaps. I look at it with my own eyes, and judge it endlessly.

Perhaps, that's for you to judge. I wouldn't say that it is a problem, until it starts to get in your way.

[Jack Flak]

Perhaps, that's for you to judge. I wouldn't say that it is a problem, until it starts to get in your way.

By the way, what do we count as art?
Heh heh, I don't see it as a problem either.

Art is almost entirely subjective, so it's almost entirely pointless to invent a universal definition.

[sleeptowin]

Art is almost entirely subjective, so it's almost entirely pointless to invent a universal definition.

Since it's only almost entirely pointless... eh, never mind...

Anyway, to anwser placebos questions.

Well, anyway. What would you respond?
Depending on the circumstances, I'd ask her why she thinks that way and then try to respond accordingly as well as i can... which would be something as lame as; Well, that's your loss.

How much does art matter to you, or does it at all?
My art is everything to me.

What is the use of art?
Good question, I guess that it could be anything really, it's up to the artist or viewer/listener etc. I myself consider art to be a tool.

[Hmm]

IMO, all of the Arts are just a widely accepted form of emotional expression, and this is very much so needed in our world.

[disregard]

Art serves the artist.

[Uberfuhrer]

What is the use of art?

That is exactly it. Art is anything that is created but has no use.

[MacGuffin]

Where is toonia when you need a thread IQed up?

[kuranes]

Where is toonia when you need a thread IQed up?
I brought this aspect of art up in the thread on the meaning of art on INTPC and you characteristically ignored it. Let's see what happens here.

Ramachandran argues that the survival of art through the ages is due to more than the typical definition of aesthetics. I cannot sum it all up in a fashion that would make booya proud of its terseness, however. Thus, once again, a link instead:
Mixing Memory: The Cognitive Science of Art: Ramachandran's 10 Principles of Art, Principles 1-3 (http://mixingmemory.blogspot.com/2005/01/cognitive-science-of-art-ramachandrans.html)

[MacGuffin]

I brought this aspect of art up in the thread on the meaning of art on INTPC and you characteristically ignored it. Let's see what happens here.

That toonia needs to IQ up a thread?

Bizarre.

[Uberfuhrer]

Where is toonia when you need a thread IQed up?

I'm her replacement.

[kuranes]

That toonia needs to IQ up a thread?

Bizarre.
Your an idiot.

* taps foot, checks watch *

Now if toonia had posted the link instead.....

[MacGuffin]

I'm her replacement.

:thumbdown:

[Uberfuhrer]

:thumbdown:

Thank you, Roger Ebert.

[kyuuei]

But I do want to post the question: What about the art that has taught us about our history?

One of my friends is teaching his art class tomorrow about how they can get a theory on if cavemen could use things like astrology back then based on cave paintings.

I know there are plenty more examples, art of the past can give us a window into what our history was like, providing education and blahblahblah.

If art ONLY did that much, wouldn't it be worth all the stuff that seems useless now?

[kuranes]

But I do want to post the question: What about the art that has taught us about our history?


Do hieroglyphics count ?


rosebud=rosetta

[Kyrielle]

What is the importance of art in your opinion? Whether it be in general or personally?

I ask this because this morning my sister said "I don't care about arts" in regards to recent cuts in arts programs by our PM here in Canada. I was mortally offended inside, but all I managed to say was something as lame as "well if you get rid of all the arts in the world you'd see how important it is."

Well, anyway. What would you respond?

How much does art matter to you, or does it at all?
What is the use of art?

I would have told her that she was missing out on a lot of interesting things. I would have asked her if she liked music, the decorations in her house, the way her house was designed, her pretty clothes, the way her car looks and told her that those are all part of the arts. Someone made them, and in the process of making them they exercised some amount of creativity and fused into it some part of themselves (whether they were aware of it or not). Because that's what art is, to me anyway.

For me, it's very important. All kinds of art are important, even the stuff I personally think is nonsensical junk. I realise I think that because I don't understand the premise behind the artwork.

Really, I couldn't begin to explain what I think the point of art is. I think it's a very human thing and most people are driven to create something. I'm not sure why, though.

[placebo]

This is a paragraph from The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker that provides an interesting theory to why people desire to create art.

The key to the creative type is that he is separated out of the common pool of shared meanings. There is something in his life experience that makes him take in the world as a problem; as a result he has to make personal sense out of it. This holds true for all creative people to a greater or lesser extent, but it is especially obvious with the artist. Existence becomes a problem that needs an ideal answer; but when you no longer accept the collective solution to the problem of existence, then you must fashion your own. The work of art is, then, the ideal answer of the creative type to the problem of existence as he takes it in—not only the existence of the external world, but especially his own: who he is as a painfully separate person with nothing shared to lean on. He has to answer to the burden of his extreme individuation, his so painful isolation. He wants to know how to earn immortality as a result of his own unique gifts. His creative work is at the same time the expression of his heroism and the justification of it. It is his “private religion”—as Rank put it. Its uniqueness gives him personal immortality; it is his own “beyond” and not that of others.

[Jeffster]

I think art is really important, but I don't think the government needs their grubby hands on it.