As an artist, I appreciate art in any form, like movies, poetry, music, and painting. As a Hawaii artist, I am grateful to live in Hawaii. The islands are a continual expression of natural beauty. As a human being I understand the value of expression. This Hawaii artist blog examines how can art change the world?
Expression can be negative or positive. It can teach, inspire, even justify us to construct or destruct, love or hate. Art affects the human condition in a very powerful way because it influences from the inside out.
I am blessed to live in the islands and it may seem obvious that I have the opportunity to create island art. Perhaps to some it may seem that the subject matter isn’t profound. However, as I create artwork, I make note of how the process affects me and how an emotion or feeling can move from the inward man to the outward. I see how my attitude and behavior can become more positive as I immerse myself in the creative process. Art can change the world from the inside out. That is why I call this blog artheartheart (art-the-earth-heart).
Hawaii Artist Blog Asks What Is Art?
For ages scholars and philosophers have argued what the goals of art should be. There is a branch of philosophy, known as Aesthetics that is devoted to the critical reflection on art, culture and nature. Yet over the centuries many books and journal articles have been published arguing over the basics of what we mean by the term “art”. Is it possible that man can’t define art because it is too similar to humanity? If you consider how we perceive each other by the senses, emotions, intellectual opinions, will, desires, culture, preferences, values, subconscious behavior, conscious decision, training, instinct, society, or any combination of these forces, it is unlikely that mankind can easily be defined.
Can art change the world? What is the value of art?
If art is similar to mankind then it might be why we can be moved by it. Art as Experience is pragmatist John Dewey’s major writing on aesthetics. There he presented a theory that the importance of the art process is not so much the material work, rather it is the development of an experience. An experience is something that personally affects your life.
How can art change the world? Who benefits?
If art is an experience, then you could say that art is an activity. Then the activity, the whole process of experiencing artwork at any level is the value of art. Perhaps this answers the question, what is art?
If you take that approach then you ask, who will benefit from the value of art? Will the artist? Will the audience? Will society at large? Will it reach beyond the immediate audience?
We have been affected by art probably more often than we realize. We may feel happy when we listen to a song or cry at a movie. We experience the power of art to inspire, to heal, to transform, to rehabilitate, to bear witness, and to make us believe that there are better days ahead. Art has the value of allowing catharsis. This Hawaii artist says, “Yes! Art can change the world!”
If we consider that we are all the audience and experience art in at least one media, it seems reasonable to state that the very existence of art is how art can change the world.
Hawaii artist examining what is art?
As a Hawaii artist I hope to continue examining what is art, what is the purpose of art, and is art changing the world? The discussion will continue here in artheartheart. Please feel free to participate with your comments.
Have a positive day!
Thomas Deir
Thomas Deir Studios
http://www.thomasdeir.com