Students share the importance of the arts

Since the very beginning of mankind, humans have continually used their creativity for everything from the construction of houses to painting on cave walls. As time passed, arts has begun to take many different forms, including architecture, photography, fashion, performing arts, tapestry and many others.

Interestingly, arts are now nothing like what they used to be years ago as new techniques are constantly being developed and technology quickly advances. For example, before the 1950s there was no such thing as computer art, video art only came into existence in the early 1970s, and photography was unthought of until 1827 when a French inventor took a fuzzy photo which took eight hours to process.

It has often been said that art is not as important as mathematics, science, and subjects that only require logical thinking. Since early childhood, many parents encourage their children to concentrate on “left-brain” subjects, as they are more likely to bring success in the future.

Although this to some extent is true, this topic can still be argued because artistic individuals are arguably the ones who come up with the best ideas. According to an article from The Artist, “What is Art? Why is Art Important?” Van Jones had created a graph which represents the “interaction between the four aspects of society and its different members.”

The graph demonstrates our society as being “Driven by the powerful elites, the dependent masses, government, cultural producers and artists.” The artists are positioned on the “ideas” side of the graph below the thinkers and are in the “heart space.”

This shows that arts are mostly about expressing feelings rather than producing ideas. As true as this interpretation might be, art can still have a great impact on the world and even affect lives.

Looking into the past, people can see many ways types of art such as architecture and painting have affected the world. The Eiffel Tower has essentially become the symbol of France, Mona Lisa changed the way women were perceived during the Renaissance and visual propaganda compelled individuals to believe in absolutely anything.

These are only a few examples from thousands of others. Art truly fascinates many with its vast variety, and power to improve, change and persuade the whole world.

Former ballerina and art student on campus Fiona Soto ’19, defines art as a way to express oneself and sees it as a form of communication.

“Art is a part of who I am,” Soto said. “I was a ballet performer for eight years, and have always done many other types of art such as sculpting, painting and so on. I think art can be very therapeutic for some, but for others, it’s just an outlet for emotions. I grew up with people who were very artistic and had a great influence on my life.”

Aspiring graphic designer, Landon Goldsborough, ’19, is fond of art and enjoys designing things such as music covers, invitation cards, and web slides. He also does graphic design for ProChurch, a company which provides designs for the use of churches and similar establishments.

“In today’s culture graphic design is almost everywhere,” Goldsborough said. “Art is extremely valuable today because of the high demand for fresh ideas and styles. One of the reasons I prefer digital art above any other is because I can easily undo anything I’ve done and completely rearrange it in a matter of seconds.”

In the end, it is of great importance to many to appreciate art and understand that a huge part of our world is made by artists. Things we see daily, such as buildings, clothing items, advertisements, appliances, and much more were once just an idea in someone’s mind.

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For more features read, Librarian shows love for kids through learning.