Mimesis – noun. representation or imitation of the real world in art and literature. True? Oscar Wilde was one of many artists to question whether Art imitates Life or Life learns from Art. He stated that “poets and painters have taught (Society) the loveliness of such effects . . . They did not exist till Art had invented them.”
Hello All,
I’ve been thinking and questioning the value of Art in Society throughout the ages lately. Why do we do it? Why do people collect it? And why is it censored, banned, stolen, revered and used in war propaganda machines? It is a powerful voice in all societies, and whether it is reflective of the times or influential for the future, clearly we must have it; cannot live without it. Steve Jobs said, “Technology alone is not enough – it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.” An artist creates because he/she is compelled to write, sing, dance, paint, compose, interpret and perform from the soul. Society craves this “soulspeak”, (yes, I just made up that word). Consequently, great demands are put on artists to produce without much understanding for where the “art” comes from or how it is sustained, driven, blocked or executed. We celebrate the “hits” and pan the “flops”. Quite simply, we love art and often wish we could be more creative because “Logic will get you fron A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” Albert Einstein. Food for thought. – Kathy
