The Power of Art

1. The Power of Art Examining Art as a Vehicle for Social Conscience Mrs. Frayne

2. What is Art? “[T]he use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others” ~ Britannica Online “To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced . . . then, by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds, or forms expressed in words . . . transmit that feeling that others may experience the same feeling - this is the activity of art.” ~ Leo Tolstoy

3. Art is . . .Form and Content Form is concrete and means: 1.elements of art (line, shape, colour // metaphor, rhyme . . .) 2. principles of design (balance, pattern //irony, tone . . .) 3. physical materials Content is idea-based and means: 1. what the artist meant to portray, 2. what the artist actually did portray and 3. how we react, as individuals, to both the intended and actual messages. • Additionally, “content” includes ways in which a work was influenced – by religion, or politics, or society in general at the time it was created.(Esaak) therefore . . .

4. Art serves as a vehicle for the social conscience. It responds to and reflects on society’s values and issues.

5. The Role of Art Art can: • bring awareness to people • present truths about humankind that cannot be expressed any other way • connect people in a society by presenting an idea that everyone can relate to in a universal way (“Art”)

6. Art may depict . . . Negative human conditions: fear hatred injustice Positive aspects of life: love beauty honour devotion

7. So what does this painting say/do? “Van Gogh's painting Sunflowersmight improve society by causing people to appreciate the small and natural beauty that surrounds them.”(“Art”)

8. So too, photographs capturing nature’s wonders may remind us of how precious our environment is.

9. Sistine Chapel Ceiling (1508 and 1512)by Michaelangelo Christianity and the Catholic Church was strongly reflected in the art of the Italian Renaissance.

10. How about this painting? Can you guess the artist? Time Period?

11. Guernica (1937)by Pablo Picasso • painted in response to the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. • The painting “shows the tragedies of war and the sufferingit inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians” and has become “a perpetual reminder of the tragedies of war, an anti-war symbol, and an embodiment of peace” (“Guernica”).

12. Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962)by Andy Warhol “Warhol[’s work] is now understood to represent the modern era of commercialization and indiscriminate ‘sameness’” (“Campbell's”)

13. Lyrical Dance Lyrical dance combines elements of ballet and jazz and focuses on self expression and presenting emotion. Rooted in the early 20th century Freudian theories • which focused on the unconscious mind and self awareness.

14. Hip-Hop Dance Reflects the fast paced nature of the last number of decades. • “Hip hop dance corresponds to • body movements, which harmonize • with the beat and rhythm of music. • In this dance style, you can find • lots of breaking, popping, locking • and free styling, while its • movements indulge jumps, • breakages, and rotations” (“Hip-Hop”)

15. What about Literature?? Can the written word capture and achieve what other artists can through their images? • "Literature, though it may also be many other things, is social evidence and testimony." • (Lewis Coser—American Sociologist)

16. Shakespeare’s definition • of what drama and writing is for . . . Modern translation from Hamlet: “the purpose of acting . . . was and is, to hold, as it were, the mirror up to nature, to show truth in reality, scorn her falseness, and to record the shape and movement of the times we live in.” (III.ii)

17. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense “In 1776 during the Revolutionary Period . . . Paine[‘s] work was full of desire for separation from England which was a growing demand of the time. The Declaration of Independence was inspired by this work” (“The Impact”).

18. Harriet Beecher Stowe's novelUncle Tom's Cabin (1852) “The book showed the people of the North the brutality of slavery and [some may argue] aided in the Abolitionist Movement” (“Art”).

19. Charlotte Bronte's novelJane Eyre (1847) The following passage from the novel reveals emerging feminist views of the time: • "Woman are supposed to be very calm, generally; but women feel just as men feel; they need exercises for their faculties, and a field for their efforts - they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation - it is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for them."

20. KhaledHosseini's novelA Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) Hosseini is an Afghani- American whose novel aims to bring awareness to the plight of women in Afghanistan. Relevance to our current times?

21. Let’s apply this theory of art to what you’re familiar with . . . Does Music reveal social conscience too?

22. Music & Social Conscience • “. . . music tends to be a reflection of society and its values and occurances[sic]. Rock and Roll of the 50's is a good example of this phenomenon as is the music of the 90's which is reflective of the increasingly violent and frustrating environment we live in. Likewise, music of the 60's reflected the turbulent period during which the Vietnam war, drugs, the sexual revolution and other social issues were uppermost in people's minds. Classical (or "serious") music has also shown that same reflection of the times. One need only look to the turn of the 20th century and its then radical musical influences to see a clear demonstration of this theory” (Reublin).

23. Let’s listen . . . “Dear Mr. President” ~ Pink (feat. Indigo Girls) Dear Mr. President, Come take a walk with me. Let's pretend we're just two people and You're not better than me. I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly. What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street? Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep? What do you feel when you look in the mirror? Are you proud? How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye? How do you walk with your head held high? Can you even look me in the eye And tell me why? Dear Mr. President, Were you a lonely boy? Are you a lonely boy? Are you a lonely boy? How can you say No child is left behind? We're not dumb and we're not blind. They're all sitting in your cells While you pave the road to hell. What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away? And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay? I can only imagine what the first lady has to say You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine. How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye? How do you walk with your head held high? Can you even look me in the eye? Let me tell you 'bout hard work Minimum wage with a baby on the way Let me tell you 'bout hard work Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away Let me tell you 'bout hard work Building a bed out of a cardboard box Let me tell you 'bout hard work Hard work Hard work You don't know nothing 'bout hard work Hard work Hard work Oh How do you sleep at night? How do you walk with your head held high? Dear Mr. President, You'd never take a walk with me. Would you?

24. The SOCIAL CONSCIENCE of Today’s Popular Music • YOUR turn to analyse . . . • What issues and/or values are presented inthe • songs you brought in? • What, consequently, do the songs reveal about our current society?

25. Works Cited "Art In Society." Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More. Web. 11 Feb. 2011. "Campbell's Soup Cans." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Esaak, Shelley. "What Is Art - The Basic Meaning of Art Explained." About.com - Art History. Web. 12 Feb. 2011. "Guernica (painting)." Wikipedia. Web. 11 Feb. 2011 "Hip Hop Dancing - History & Origin of Hip Hop Dance." Lifestyle Lounge – Online Lifestyle Magazine -. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. "The Impact of Literature on American History Summary" BookRags. 2000- 2006. Web. 12 Feb. 2011 Reublin, Rick. "The Dead Zone of American Popular Music." In Search of American Popular Song. Jan. 2000. Web. 13 Feb. 2011.