Spring Break
Art still struggles for acceptance in society
Madison Shelton
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Ed-Op
Art can be simply described as the creation and appreciation of the aesthetic in certain objects. For thousands of years the boundaries of what art is and how it influences our society has been in constant question. Just like people and the society that they develop, art is in unceasing evolution. In history, the study and education of art was considered one of the fundamental building blocks of any man's mind. The ancient Greeks considered art in the study, production and admiration and important principle to understand in Greek life. In understanding the history behind the sentiment of art we can get an idea of where art has progressed. But what would be the importance of the progression of art? How does a discipline that bases itself on the look of an object be important to an ever-changing world? What as young students do we learn and draw from art and how is it integrated into the 'curriculum' that we follow in our everyday lives?
Robert Browning, and English poet and playwright from the 19th century wrote that, "It is the glory and good of art, that art remains the one way possible of speaking truth." The idea that the truth can be seen by the world through art is such a powerful idea. That what we see in the world that affects us can be expressed in an outside medium is a beautiful and dangerous thing. Beautiful in the sense that we can release ourselves into the world and have people become moved by what moves us or feel strongly about what we hold important in our lives.
These strong emotions are also dangerous, because art can connect to many people around the world and thus cause problems around the world. One example where art has caused people to react negatively is the cartoon depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper in 2005. People across the Islamic world were so upset that it led to protests, paper burnings and violence, which contributed to many deaths.
Art is important not only in the lives of college students like ourselves but to the present world that we interact in and the future world that we plan to live in. In the small microcosm of the Drexel University campus, we witness and experience art in our everyday lives. We pass posters for concerts in the city, new music CDs coming out soon, art galleries in the city, even the billboard advertisements that we see across the city are forms of artwork that influence our judgment.
Robert Browning, and English poet and playwright from the 19th century wrote that, "It is the glory and good of art, that art remains the one way possible of speaking truth." The idea that the truth can be seen by the world through art is such a powerful idea. That what we see in the world that affects us can be expressed in an outside medium is a beautiful and dangerous thing. Beautiful in the sense that we can release ourselves into the world and have people become moved by what moves us or feel strongly about what we hold important in our lives.
These strong emotions are also dangerous, because art can connect to many people around the world and thus cause problems around the world. One example where art has caused people to react negatively is the cartoon depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper in 2005. People across the Islamic world were so upset that it led to protests, paper burnings and violence, which contributed to many deaths.
Art is important not only in the lives of college students like ourselves but to the present world that we interact in and the future world that we plan to live in. In the small microcosm of the Drexel University campus, we witness and experience art in our everyday lives. We pass posters for concerts in the city, new music CDs coming out soon, art galleries in the city, even the billboard advertisements that we see across the city are forms of artwork that influence our judgment.
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