The Impact Of Art On The Life Of The Believer - 1378 Words

Throughout history, art has been an essential component of almost every civilization, both for its own sake and for the reflection it provides of changing social attitudes and political climates. Yet while art does serve an important role in secular society, how should it influence, and perhaps even change, the lives of believers? Does God value art? If so, how does He expect us to interact with both secular and religious works of art? This essay will address these and other questions by analyzing the definition of art, discussing the role of art in the life of the believer, and considering how to properly evaluate artwork. We will close our discussion with a reflection on the importance of encouraging artistic expression and appreciation†¦show more content†¦3). This latter definition is more comprehensive than the former because it explains that art requires skill and is a medium through which an artist conveys a message. Yet even this description is not completely accurat e. First, artists occasionally create ‘ugly’ artwork to express inner turmoil or to convey harsh truths about society. Second, not all imaginative designs can be considered great art. Although creating a mural for a home, for example, certainly requires imagination and skill, the mural might not qualify as a work of art according to the judgement of art historians. Perhaps a better way to ‘define’ art would be to utilize a multifaceted approach, such as that suggested by Jeffrey T. Dean. Dean proposes that in order to determine whether a certain work can truly be considered art, it should be compared to â€Å"radial categories† of artwork (31) in the context of the â€Å"historical narrative† of art (29). In other words, the item in question must have some relation, whether direct or indirect, to a recognized work of art, and the connection between the two pieces (if one exists) will likely correlate to known developments in art history (31 â €“ 33). Based on these definitions, what types of creative works would not be considered art? According to Maria Khan, â€Å"Art is derived from our external and internal experiences. Art is a projection of what you experience, how you view the world and what you want to