Arts and Society

Arts and Entertainment

The Arts BRINGS enterntaiment (entertain: absorb, beguile, captivate, charm, cheer, comfort, crack up, delight, distract, divert, ecstasize, elate, engross, enliven, enthrall, gladden, grab, gratify, humor, indulge, inspire, inspirit, interest, knock dead, make merry, occupy, pique, please, recreate, regale, relax, satisfy, slay, solace, stimulate, tickle). Basically, it is about Art bringing us something to do.

It's an escapade from the tiring work days. Whether it is a trip to an art gallery down town (fine art), dancing or listening to music (performence art), it is a form of entertainment for us, it is also Art. It is fun, exciting, relaxing, interesting, pleasing, it is entertaining! It keeps us going as it brings colour to our lives. It can also be a form of recreation (dance). Moreover, it helps us keep in touch with our "human" self. Becuase we can't be like robots constantly working and working. It also allows us to strengthen social bonds (generate interest amogst friends).

Business and Science and Technology

When I link Art and Business, I think of advertising. Posters, TV commercials etc. Advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade its viewers, readers or listeners to take some action, in most cases, to purchase certain products/services. I guess this is the section where Art comes most handy in today's society (I mean... when everything is about making money and surviving, what can an artist do other than design things that are "practical"). Businesses make use of Art in terms of the aesthetics and communication to attract customers. Or maybe the fashion industry? I guess this is the only where Art is truly appreciated and used.

Art and Science&Tech. I immeadiatly think of illustrations in my old science textbook. I guess one use of Art in S&T is to protray ideas much more clearly. Makes it more interesting too. I mean... Imagine if your entire science textbook just consists of words I don't think I'll ever be interested to ever study it. Or if they want to show you how a cell looks like, it may be hard picturing it with merely description. The pictures become self-explainatory.

Communication and Media

Closely linked to the advertising, advertisements communicate with the public, attracting them to purchase certain products or services. Moreover, as mentioned in the previous post, "Art, at its simplest, is a form of communication. As most forms of communication have an intent or goal directed toward another individual, this is a motivated purpose". It is a form of communication, very visually and aesthetically. It tells stories, it transmits messages and opinions. Unless it is decorative Art, it's purpose is to transmit messages from the artists. This includes books, television shows, movies, music, fine art etc.

Art also broadens the perspectives of the society and we can understand the world better too. Especially for social artists like Dede Eri Supria who talks about the predicament of the rural class in Indonesia, his homeland.

Disadvantaged and Marginalised

Many artist's (social artists) concepts and ideas revolve around the "disadvantage and marginalised". This refers to certain groups of people. For example, the elderly (ageism), the black (racism), the handicapped. Mostly, the outcasts. These artists bring up these occuring problems in the society. They may be signalling to the people to stop the discrimination.

For instance, Duane Hanson. His hyperrealistic scupltures bring all these various themes. Some of the works include "Man on a Bench" and " Queenie II". These artists may also want these people to recognized and not be outcasted. It allows people to emphatize with them and understand their predicament, hopefully, they will cast away their discriminating ways. The power of Art! =D

Education and School

1. Art class: So Art in Singapore schools... It is a compulsory subject from P1 right up to Secondary 2. From Secondary 3 to 4 and Junior College Year 1 and 2(hey thats me :D) it becomes a choice, mostly based on apitude. For JC H2 Art, we have Study of Visual Art (or as we Pioneers like to call it SuperSOVA!) and Art course work.

Personal opinion: I think Art has really broaden my mind. Like, really. It makes you think a lot. Not just in terms of the essay question in SOVA, but I reckon... the psyche of the artists really makes you think. We don't just swim on the surface, we dive deep. I think especially when we think about our coursework. Geddit? =D

It also allows students to express and exercise creativity!

2. Art in TEXTBOOKS: As I have said, illustration. No matter what subject (maybe excluding Math), Science, Geography, History, your Mother Tongue, there is definately illustrations in them. It explains ideas so much clearer and it also makes them seem more appealing than mundane. Gives us students motivation to study. Hahaha.

3. Art Teachers as an influence to Artists.

Family and Home

I guess here, we can base it on interests wise? For example, my brother, my dad and I LOVE music. My family also loves watching movies together. Music and movies are considered a form of Art. So Art ties bonds between people closer, generating interests. Art can be experienced with people you love, like your family.

Artists are also known to be high influenced by their families. One example is Willem de Kooning. He had bad experiences with his mother as a child, which created so much inner conflict with de Kooning. He became a very upset when he grew up to be an adult. This was expressed very agressively in his "Women" series which featured very distorted paintings of women. The strokes very obviously harsh (action painting). It was as if he was venting his anger on the canvases. Thus, Families can be huge influences for the artists.

Government and Leadership

Artists do have political messages in their work too. This reminds me of all those comic artists who often enjoy making fun of the previous USA president, Mr Bush. Inconspicuous political messages from the artists are being portrayed in their works. Art becomes an outlet for them to express.

I guess all in all, this proves that Art really is important. It's not just beautiful to look at, it is a means of expression, keeping us more "human". People may think Art is useless, especially in this modern day. However, I reckon, it has become so much more important that it ever has. Besides being a huge marketing weapon for businesses, it keeps us alive and makes life colourful. It makes life more interesting and less mundane. Social artists make use of their talent to confront social issue. It tells stories. It lets people know that "you are not alone (eg, the artists talk about his problems which a viewer may experience) and lastly, it broadens the way we think.