Discover Top Posts Tagged with #37 min

Day 2

“In order for any work of art—for example, a film, a novel, a poem, or a song—to have merit, it must be understandable to most people.”

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

Throughout the ages, people have employed visual arts, music, and literature as means of expression. Not only does art present the distilled essence of the individual thoughts of its creator, but art is often also the reflection of an era in history. For thousands of years, mankind has crafted the fine arts as a medium for transmitting a message. Indeed, a piece that is truly meaningful must succeed in delivering the ideas of the artist. If the artist creates a work that is incomprehensible, the meaning behind his efforts will inevitably be lost in translation.

For modern gallery-goers, it is not uncommon to find contemporary sculptures and paintings beyond explanation. The popularity of abstract art has increased dramatically in the last century; yet, works of this genre are seemingly incapable of presenting a cohesive message. Those who favor abstract art often applaud this ambiguity as representing the postmodernist idea that there is no singular truth - but if this is truly the intention of the artist, do all abstract pieces represent the same idea? Surely that is not the case; however, if the viewer is unable to decipher the thought embedded within the artwork, the creator has failed to make himself clear and therefore the artwork cannot be meaningful.

A more comical instance of the loss of meaning in art is the infamous poem, "The Jabberwocky", by Lewis Carroll. In his celebrated novel, "Alice in Wonderland", the titular heroine Alice encounters Humpty Dumpty, who recites the poem for her. Much to her bewilderment, she is unable to comprehend a single word (since the lexicography is entirely made up). In her eagerness to understand, she asks her friend to decipher the verses word for word. However, since the words are non-existent in the English vocabulary, it is possible to assign any meaning to the words and hence the concoction of syllables mean nothing at all.

Since art originates from thought, art cannot have merit if it cannot be understood by the public. However, there is something to be admired of craftsmanship, even if a piece does not embody an idea: the beauty of a thing that is only meant to be beautiful can still be appreciated, but an illegible volume with all the knowledge of the world is only as good as a blank slate.

#37 min