6.8.13

Why The Power Of Art Has Remained Important

By Cathy Mercer


The power of art is as old as man himself. The saying, a picture is worth a thousand words, is just but an appreciation of the strength that is held by creative works. There are many types of art that have been with us for many centuries. The most common types are those that involve visuals. These include paintings, photographs, mosaic, collage, pottery and so on. The wider definition encompasses fields such as theatre, dance and literature among others.

There are many roles of this field. The main one is, of course the fact that it acts as a means of communicating different messages or emotions or imitating. Many have grouped art alongside religion and science because all these three fields are concerned with the human mind. As a matter of fact, a branch of philosophy concerned with the interpretation of these creative works has been created. This field is known as aesthetics.

There are different forms that the creative works may take. The form refers to the quality or shape that the piece will take as determined by the type of media that is used. For example, sculptured pieces should be created in a 3D manner and should also respond to gravity. One of the greatest determinants of what is to be achieved in the end is the quality of media used. Characteristics such as colour and texture are of great importance.

Different artists adopt different styles that can be used to identify them. One of the ways of standing out from the rest is to choose special media to prepare the creative works. While some artists may find it easier to work with metals such as gold, silver or bronze others may prefer non-metals such as wood. Painters may have preference for certain colours and sculptors may be attracted to certain shapes and textures.

The roles of creative works are broadly divided into two; motivated and non-motivated roles. The latter are the basically those functions that seek to represent human nature. They create a picture of the strengths and weaknesses of humanities. These types of art are everyday events that frequently pass for ordinary; there is no intention to portray them as being creative works yet they still communicate to audiences.

Motivated functions include those consciously intended by the creator. These could simply be a form of communicating ideas, feelings and moods to external parties. They may also be a form of illustrating science. In addition, art serves as a kind of entertainment through providing mind relaxation to viewers. Visual images have also been used to bring about change in the political system of a given country or region.

Another area where creative works have had a huge impact is the area of social justice. Many ghettos all over the world are painted with graffiti that communicates one thing or the other. Messages that may be communicated in this manner include the shunning of vices such as murder, corruption, oppression and so on. The public may also be educated on diseases and medical conditions such as autism and cancer. Graffiti are usually painted in public places such as walls and bus stops.

The other area where the power of art can strongly be felt is the financial aspects that are associated with the creativity. Talented performers have turned their passions into careers and are living comfortably. Sculptors who use precious stones such as gold and silver sell their pieces at prices that often earn them a fortune.




About the Author: