Creative escape or a reflection of society? The role of art in our modern world

Why art is important – on the diverse function of art

Art has existed since the beginning of humankind. Throughout history, people have always created and appreciated art.

It will always be an inseparable part of human life, regardless of ethnicity, political beliefs, or cultural background. This manifested itself in the earliest days of humanity in a wide variety of forms of expression, such as prehistoric cave paintings or ancient musical instruments.

Whether it is a musical composition , a dance , a poem, a drawing , a painting or even graffiti – there has always been and always will be some form of artistic expression.

Through the diversity of art forms and techniques, as well as the efforts of philosophers and artists to explain them and give them meaning, art has developed rapidly.

From the perspective of artists, art primarily serves as a means of communication, enabling them to express their ideas, feelings, and emotions through aesthetic and innovative presentations. In doing so, they strive to establish a deeper intellectual connection with their audience.

When we hear the word "art," some people immediately associate museums or framed paintings . Many then think: "I'm not really a big fan of it. I just don't understand some works."

What about you? Do you also believe that art is only for intellectuals or art lovers?

In truth, art is open to everyone who wants to experience it. You can find it in many places: in songs you like; in films you watch; in poems and theater performances – even in your grandfather's hand-carved wooden works or your grandmother's batik creations, created in the seventies.

Art is also always a reflection of our society and offers a creative escape from the hectic, postmodern world, which regularly overwhelms us with its omnipresent stimuli.

From abstract art to sculptures , music and literature – works of art offer us the opportunity to discover new perspectives and connect with other people.

a gallery , browsing a book or trying your hand at an acrylic painting – there are many ways to distract yourself from the hectic everyday life and enjoy the beauty of the arts.

All this and much more can be considered art.

An overview of art history

Works of art are a reflection of cultural and social developments at different times in history.

They do not merely serve as representations, but act independently and have a function. Art represents a kind of coping strategy through which the thoughts and feelings of artists are revealed – both those who grappled with the processes of their time and those who engage with them today.

By looking at art, one gains insights into historical processes of change as well as into the diversity and migration of various signs, symbols and images.

Art history can be roughly divided into seven major historical periods:

1. The Stone Age and prehistoric art (approx. 30,000 – 1800 BC)
2. The Art Movement of Antiquity / Ancient World (approx. 3000 – 1150 BC)
3. Art in the Middle Ages (approx. 500 – 1400 AD)
4. Renaissance (approx. 1420 – 1600)
5. Baroque (approx. 1600 – 1780)
6. The Age of Modern Art (c. 1790 – 1990)
7. Postmodern / Contemporary Art (since 1990)

In ancient art, religious themes and the depiction of ideals were paramount. Greek sculptures were distinguished by their perfection in proportion.

In the Middle Ages , by contrast, it was primarily sacred art such as church paintings or altarpieces. The Renaissance brought with it a revival of the classical heritage – artists once again oriented themselves towards the ideals of the Greco-Roman world and created works full of harmony and beauty.

The Baroque period emphasized drama – scenarios were often exaggerated to evoke emotions. The Rococo followed the same stylistic principle, but placed more emphasis on lightness than on heaviness.

The 19th century is characterized by the emergence of new artistic movements such as Romanticism or Impressionism , which broke new ground by depicting not only a representation but also feelings.

Modernism, beginning around the start of the 20th century, moved away from traditional techniques towards abstraction. Examples of this movement include Cubism , Expressionism , and Surrealism .

Contemporary art today deals with, among other things, social issues of our time and new media technologies.

A detailed classification of all Art Periods And Movements in the visual arts, including comprehensive descriptions, can be found in our article: Overview of Art Periods And Movements – An Introduction to Art History.

While each era has its own unique character, they all share the common thread of continuously developing art. This remains true today: artists experiment with new techniques, materials, or themes to present something new to the world.

Art is an important part of cultures and eras because it conveys messages, emotions, and thought patterns. It reflects artists' engagement with their own world. In this sense, both past and present artists have grappled intensely with their culture and the spirit of the times.

Culture , and customs within a society. Both art and culture express diverse ways of thinking and attitudes and cannot be hierarchically ordered like different eras. Art is the result of cultural and societal conditions and an expression of human creativity, sometimes imbued with profound emotion.

It remains true that art has been an important part of our society since time immemorial – it can inspire us, entertain us, and also stimulate reflection. Whether as an escape from everyday life or a reflection of it – art has many facets and offers everyone the opportunity to find themselves within it.

What is art? What does art mean to us?

You've probably come across the saying "Art comes from skill." Some might chuckle at this somewhat polemical statement, but it's not without reason. The origin of the term "art" lies in the Latin word "ars," which can be translated as follows:

• Can
• Craftsmanship
• skill
• skill

Originally, the focus in defining art was on the manner of acting and the activity itself, rather than on the finished work. Over time, however, the definition of this term has changed significantly and taken on different meanings depending on the context.

In abenteuer philosophie – the magazine for practical philosophy – we find a very apt approach by the editor-in-chief , Mag. Dr. Hannes Weinelt .

According to him, too, the origins of art lie in skill , but also simultaneously in knowledge . The intention of art has always been to change the world. Whether it actually succeeds in doing so depends not only on the artist's abilities, but also on our ability as viewers . To make this possible, we must evolve from passive spectators to active participants.

Art comes from skill or knowledge ( nosse aut posse ), perhaps from both, or at least it must combine both to a proper degree. He who knows without being able is a theorist, whom one can hardly trust in matters of skill; he who can do without being able is a mere practitioner or craftsman; the true artist combines both.

This is what we read in Johann Gottfried von Herder's  Kalligone in 1800. Unfortunately, Herder's statement sounded different Berliner Morgenpost on February 25, 1938. "art" from "ability" became, under National Socialism, for defamation of so-called "degenerate art .

Art comes from skill; if it came from desire, it would have to be called "Wunst." The first images with which the "Degenerate Art" exhibition at Königsplatz 5 in Berlin now presents itself to visitors seem like an illustration of this wordplay. It really is "Wunst" that looms towards us here. And just as meaningless as this word sounds, so too do the scribbles stare back at us meaninglessly, having nothing to do with painting except in terms of the materials used

"art comes from skill" is often invoked in art debates , without any awareness of its devastating connotation under National Socialism. But to art —as so often in history—a driving force for change, neither political instrumentalization, as practiced in totalitarian regimes, nor the complete destruction of all traditions, as sought by activists in the 1970s, is sufficient.

Mag. Dr. Hannes Weinelt concludes his excursions into the darker chapters of recent art history with three powerful pleas that are capable of uplifting anyone who feels touched and inspired by art:

1. “It is beauty that, despite all the imperfections in the world, shows humankind the attainability of truth. This task, therefore, falls to the ‘fine arts’: they are meant to raise the human soul back to its heavenly origin. To create such works, the artist must ‘know’ and ‘be able’. […] It is essential to promote beauty and aesthetic education.”
2. “In antiquity, beauty had a meaning that transcended all aesthetics, a meaning connected to the essence of things (to being). And it is precisely this approach—seeking the meaning and significance of a work—that the German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900–2002) chooses as a bridge to modern, or ultimately to every form of art. He speaks of three prerequisites for experiencing beauty, which he places in our hands like three “tools”: play, symbol, and festival. […] With these, we can transform ourselves from passive observers of art into active participants in experiencing it.”
3. “The positive effects of making music, acting, or creating visual arts on the development of intelligence, concentration, creativity, social skills, inner peace and balance, and much more are undisputed. […] The third plea is therefore directed at everyone: that we make more music, sing together , engage in creative activities, read and write poetry, dance, play, paint, craft, and create more, that we enable our children to do this and do it with our children, and that we demand it in kindergartens and schools or consciously choose school types that make this possible for our children.”

Beyond Weinelt's observations—or perhaps even enriched by them—it becomes clear that art also functions as a means of communicating love , truth, and beauty . Its purpose includes reaching higher planes of existence and expanding consciousness. A successful work of art, therefore, presupposes successful communication between the work and the viewer.

Without this connection, one could critically argue that the artwork does not exist. If there is no impetus that creatively motivates it, then it is not authentic art: it serves, so to speak, as a means of expression.

During the Renaissance, artists emphasized the importance of technical skill for art.

Nowadays, this view is no longer so narrow: A simple idea or an original concept can already be considered artistic (frequently found in performance art or conceptual art ). However, if one wanted to give a concise and general definition of "what is art," one could say that it is a human activity or its result that evokes sensations, emotions, or reflections in the viewer.

In order to exist, therefore, an artist and at least one viewer are required.

Why art is so important

, cultural manager and owner of Konzeptfreun.de , Steffen Peschel, wonderfully summed it up with his formulation:

Culture provides stability, art breaks new ground. Both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. We need both to live, like the flow of blood in the vessels of our body. We need certainty and a defined horizon, but at the same time also the freedom and the temptation to discover something new beyond all ultimately imagined boundaries

Art goes far beyond its practical applications and has a profound influence on our mental state, our financial status, and the identity of our society.

Both in the present and in the past, the value of art is immeasurable.

German Cultural Council also took a clear stance on this issue back in 2010:

Art and culture are of paramount importance to society. They reflect social debates, they provide points of friction for engaging with reality, they transcend everyday events. Art and culture are an expression of human existence

For anyone who still has doubts about its importance, I would like to present a list of arguments that make an irresistible case :

• We are artistically inclined by nature
• Art transcends boundaries
• It allows artists to express themselves
• Art is crucial for physical, emotional, and mental well-being
• It enables self-expression, self-reflection, and self-knowledge
• Art makes it possible to break down and/or visually represent complex ideas
• Documentary function: It helps in recording history
• Culture provides space for identity and serves as a personal calling card
• Art creates something new, aesthetic and beautiful
• Art creates variety
• It fosters the development of imagination and creativity
• Culture creates understanding, fosters connections and leads to a sense of belonging
• It provides inspiration, imparts knowledge, and stimulates reflection
• Art is an experiment; it can inspire and fascinate
• Art creates a market and secures economic livelihoods
• Art teaches us to argue and to build bridges
• Art and culture help us humans to develop further

List of sources:

Literature:

• The Great Oxford Dictionary , Third Edition, Cornelsen Publishing, ISBN-10: 0194406067
• Michael Hauskeller : What is Art?: Positions of Aesthetics from Plato to Danto , ISBN-10: 3406657095
• Reinold Schmücker: What is Art? A Foundation, Klostermann Red Series, Volume 70, ISBN-10: 3465041976

Internet:

• ART AFFAIR: What is art?
• DWDS – the Digital Dictionary of the German Language
• Franziska Boguslaw (art historian): The meaning of art , ART & WINE MAGAZINE
• Steffen Peschel : 35 Reasons for Art and Culture , Konzeptfreun.de
• German Cultural Council : Art and Culture as a Lifeline – Statement of the German Cultural Council on Cultural Funding
• NeoArtBase : Reasons why art is important