Since his first upright steps, mankind has stood a bit above the other inhabitants of this planet. While he may not be supreme in his physical stature, the power of the human mind has proven absolute. Unlike other creatures, we humans have developed a lifestyle that is more complicated than finding the next resource for metabolism and the next mate for reproduction. The distinction of larger brains within humans has enabled them to develop methods of agriculture and herding of livestock which simplified the act of obtaining food. Humans are able to meet their survival necessities, ample supplies of food, water, and shelter, with much less effort than other species within the community. Compare scouring the landscape for berries to eat versus choosing one of the many cows in your heard to slaughter. The ease at which we can achieve the basics for life allow humans to explore the world and do what they want, not what they must.
An increase of allotted time devoted towards pleasure has allowed for creative artwork, which sparked the development of the humanities. I like to think of the humanities as the study and reflection of all mediums of art, where art represents music, painting/drawing, architecture, poetry, or anything else that requires imagination and can has the ability to induce feelings. The integration of feeling and emotion into human life is the underlying difference between humans and animals. I do not advocate that other life forms do not experience emotion, but I agree with Susan K. Langer, the author of The Cultural Importance of the Arts when she says, “-there are deeper reaches that underlie the surface waves of our emotion, that make human life a life of feeling instead of an unconscious metabolic existence interrupted by feelings.” This is a powerful statement which sums up the components of human life in contrast to requirements for life in general. Art is vital for human life because our capacity for emotions goes above and beyond that of other organisms.
1 comment:
I never really thought about the reasons that allow humans to create art. Matt's small trip down history lane demonstrates just why humans did create art. Every civilization has produced art in order to explain their emotions. Their art can even relay the atmosphere of the culture to archaeologists today. For example, ancient Egyptian artwork from the First Dynasty allowed historians to see the upbeat and hopeful attitude of the residents. Many inventions along with the idea of specialization of tasks have given humans more leisure time to create art. Since we, the modern-day residents of an industrialized country, are given the freedom from worrying about basic necessities, it is easier to sit back and observe the world in an attempt to explain our connection as humans with our surrounding atmosphere. Art does set humans apart from other species and should be appreciated for all the intellectual power encompassed in the work. People need art as a mode of expression. It is in our nature. Matt makes a great point when he says, “Art is vital for human life because our capacity for emotions goes above and beyond that of other organisms.” The transformation of emotion into a creative, and at most times, a tangible object gives humans an outlet of expression that is necessary in order to explain our part in the world. It goes beyond other sciences by connecting all humans with the emotions portrayed in the art. Art is the act of exercising our emotions in the hopes of better explaining them while science cannot even begin to search human emotions for truths. Matt’s idea that humans should cherish this intellectual gift because it is unique to humans is a very accurate assertion.
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