The Arts

Reflection: How would you define art?

What kind of knowledge can the arts bring us?

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As opposed to some other areas of knowledge, the arts may be a little bit harder to define. If you are intuitively drawn towards the arts, you may feel that you 'get' what art is all about. However, you may still struggle to answer the question: what is art? It may even be more tricky to understand what kind of knowledge the arts can bring us. When we think about art, we often narrow our focus to visual arts such as paintings.

Nevertheless, the arts comprise a much wider area. Music, performance art, drama, literature, dance and film (to name but a few) are all disciplines within the arts. Each art form uses different media and a unique methodology to create art works. This will affect the nature of the knowledge conveyed as well as the dynamics between the creator, the art work and the audience. This dynamic relationship is very important when it comes to the production and acquisition of knowledge within the arts.

Even if you are not currently studying art at IBDP, you will undoubtedly come across art (in some shape or form) in your daily life. The media and the entertainment industry, for example, draw hugely on the power of the arts to reach their audience. The entertainment industry arguably benefits from the relatively recent spreading of leisure across society's classes (as opposed to just the elite). However, the arts as such are not new. Neither have they always necessarily been a thing of the elite. In fact, literature, music, visual art and performance art, song and dance have been part of human existence for millennia. In some instances, art is truly intertwined with life. Art and (cultural) identity often go hand in hand.

The arts may embed and embody belief systems. They might also play a significant role in the dissemination of knowledge. Dance and ritual are very important amongst many indigenous communities, for example. Historically, story telling and drama have also played a big role in passing on knowledge from previous generations or raising awareness amongst the public. This was particularly the case before reading and writing became widespread. Art also allows for self-expression. Art forms such as music clearly tap into human emotions. In this sense, art may give us knowledge about human emotion, our community and a deeper sense of "self".

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The arts shape identities of individuals and cultures. Art can take the form of rituals, it might incorporate religious symbolism and sometimes it embodies the history of a particular culture or community. Historically, the arts were closely connected to the religious or spiritual realm. In this sense, artistic knowledge was sometimes of a religious or spiritual nature. This is the case for creation stories, ritual voodoo dances, architecture such as churches and temples and some religious sculptures, to name but a few examples. Art forms can also be used to defend political views.

The arts have persuasive power, as they can tap into people's emotions. This can happen, amongst others, through language or sensory images. Propaganda art and national anthems, for example, can be used to strengthen political powers as well as dominant discourse. Conversely, the arts have also enabled people to protest against these dominant (oppressive) powers. Art can express subversive views and encourage people to take action. Protest art, for example, gives a voice to people. Artists sometimes demand social change and they may encourage others to do so too. Protest songs, such as Green Day's American Idiot, can reach a very wide audience and even enjoy a resurgence when political climates change (e.g. during the Trump election, this song became popular again). Although we often overlook this fact, the arts are pretty powerful when it comes to the production and dissemination of knowledge. So why is this the case? The arts as an AOK, is pretty unique. The arts dispose of a certain freedom which other areas of knowledge don't have. The arts are not obliged to rely on (dry) facts and research (although they might do so!). Artists have some form of methodological freedom. They can immediately reach out and "grab" our emotions. Through imagination, the arts can also uncover truths which are hidden by reality. John Lennon's song Imagine, for example, advocates social change. The very act of imagining the possibility of a better world gives us knowledge of what could be and of what should change in our current world. Artists as well as those willing to engage with art can demand social change. They can fight for ideas such as freedom in a powerful way. It may come as no surprise that art is sometimes censored. This very fact illustrates how important the arts is when it comes to the production and distribution of knowledge.