hyvaahyvaa
Feb 14, 2013
Writing Feedback / Art is sometimes hard to understand because of our limitation of knowledge [2]
Issue 55
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.
I disagree with the statement that any work of art has to be understandable to most people to have merit. Some might argue that both artists and people who appreciate it can get any kind of merit, whether it is financial or social, only if it is understandable. It is understandable to think like that because an art which is not appreciated or recognized cannot have that much influence on society or anyone. However, the true value of an art is much more complicated to determine.
First of all, there is a possibility that an art is underestimated because of the limitation of its contemporaries. Throughout history, liberal arts tend to be not easily understood when it first came out. Think about how people responded when Picaso came up with his weird and abstruse portraits. People at that time thought that it is not an art, it is more like a doodling. Their concept of an art was something beautiful and well-organized. Picaso's art couldn't get recognition that much at his time, but it is one of the most valuable artwork nowadays. As you can see this example, any art goes beyond the contemporary perceptions of art could be not really appreciated, but it doesn't mean that they don't have any value. They are just not getting deserved recognition for now.
Second, the impact of an art is not really related to its easiness to understand. Even though an art is not really understandable, it doesn't mean that it cannot communicate with people. When we hear music, see any picture, or watch a movie, for example, sometimes we don't understand it but we feel something. Woo-Hwan Lee who is one of the most famous contemporary modern art artists in the world once said that he thinks the audiences don't really have to understand his artworks. He rather expect them to feel something like universe out of his works. It doesn't have to be the same as he intended to be. Many artists want the same to the people. People who encounter their artworks feel something and get some energy without even knowing why. It is the magic of art.
Given that an art is sometimes hard to understand because of our limitation of knowledge and not every art is not meant to be understood easily, it is not adequate to judge any art based on whether it is understandable or not. An art which is not appreciated by now could be much more recognized in the future, and people still appreciate art even though they cannot sometimes understand. If we narrow down the art's area only within the boundary of our knowledge, it might harm the creativity of artists and consequently we will lose chances to open our eyes to bigger world.
Issue 55
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.
I disagree with the statement that any work of art has to be understandable to most people to have merit. Some might argue that both artists and people who appreciate it can get any kind of merit, whether it is financial or social, only if it is understandable. It is understandable to think like that because an art which is not appreciated or recognized cannot have that much influence on society or anyone. However, the true value of an art is much more complicated to determine.
First of all, there is a possibility that an art is underestimated because of the limitation of its contemporaries. Throughout history, liberal arts tend to be not easily understood when it first came out. Think about how people responded when Picaso came up with his weird and abstruse portraits. People at that time thought that it is not an art, it is more like a doodling. Their concept of an art was something beautiful and well-organized. Picaso's art couldn't get recognition that much at his time, but it is one of the most valuable artwork nowadays. As you can see this example, any art goes beyond the contemporary perceptions of art could be not really appreciated, but it doesn't mean that they don't have any value. They are just not getting deserved recognition for now.
Second, the impact of an art is not really related to its easiness to understand. Even though an art is not really understandable, it doesn't mean that it cannot communicate with people. When we hear music, see any picture, or watch a movie, for example, sometimes we don't understand it but we feel something. Woo-Hwan Lee who is one of the most famous contemporary modern art artists in the world once said that he thinks the audiences don't really have to understand his artworks. He rather expect them to feel something like universe out of his works. It doesn't have to be the same as he intended to be. Many artists want the same to the people. People who encounter their artworks feel something and get some energy without even knowing why. It is the magic of art.
Given that an art is sometimes hard to understand because of our limitation of knowledge and not every art is not meant to be understood easily, it is not adequate to judge any art based on whether it is understandable or not. An art which is not appreciated by now could be much more recognized in the future, and people still appreciate art even though they cannot sometimes understand. If we narrow down the art's area only within the boundary of our knowledge, it might harm the creativity of artists and consequently we will lose chances to open our eyes to bigger world.
