Explain and illustrate two ways in which art might illuminate human experience.

AS and A Level Religious Studies & Philosophy

First of all, in order to answer this, we must first come to some sort of consensus as to what art actually is. Art; according to most dictionary definitions, is a product of human creativity. Once we have an agreed definition of ‘art’ we can then move onto the terminology ‘illuminate’ and its meaning. To illuminate something is to ‘shed light upon it’ so therefore we are asked to explain and give examples of two ways in which a product of human creativity might shed light upon human experience. According to the Philosophy of Art, artwork illuminates human experience through a number of ways such as; being representative of human experiences, providing epiphanic realisations, and imitative works. For this question we will assess only two methods of illumination; namely ‘representation of human experience’ and ‘imitation of human experience’.

One method in which art illuminates is via Imitation wherein a piece of art is in fact a copy of a copy of an original object; as according to Plato and his Theory of Forms. One such example of an imitative piece of artwork which illuminates human experience is Michelangelo’s David. This statue is an imitation of an idealised view of human nature; the statue is proportionally perfect, looks like it is above such trivial things as embarrassment, and appears to be contemplating something which is of more appeal to its nature than material things. This then, is illuminative of mankind’s obsession with perfection and the lengths we often go to so as to ensure things are as perfect as we can achieve; the pyramids almost have exactly proportional corners and align almost perfectly to the four points of a compass. It is also illuminative of the fact that the, current, conception of man is something that we are aware of as being imperfect, and so we produce artwork which highlights the fact that even in our imagination we wish for ourselves to perfect.

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A second example of an imitative piece of artwork is the literary novel Oliver Twist by Dickens. When Dickens wrote Oliver he lived in a time when the standards of living were immensely different to what they are now and this is conveyed in his novel; the degree of squalor in which Oliver is subjected to when he lives with Fagin and the pick-pockets is representative of this fact. Also, Oliver Twist illuminates the nature of the judicial system, both the level of corruption present within it as well as the severity of the punishments imposed, giving the reader a clear-cut idea of how it was to live in such a time; wherein your living standards were atrocious and the theft of a loaf of bread could result in a jail sentence, being hung or worse. Therefore, the truth about the way of life back in the 19th century is revealed to us via the examples which Dickens gives us; such as Oliver, Fagin, and others, since each of these characters is seemingly representative of some level of the social hierarchy. Oliver is quite naive, well-spoken (unusual for an orphan) and young which is almost like an imitation of someone of the upper classes in regards to the level of naivety in relation to living in the slums of London. Whilst Fagin is imitative of the typical crook; a thief and professional liar, but Dickens also shows the reader how even the criminal can have a heart and do the right thing; highlighting the fact that the base nature of humanity is compassion for others.

The second method in which art illuminates is via Representation wherein a human experience or emotion; such as hurt or injustice, is represented by an object or colour etc. In art the theory of Representation focuses upon the idea that art is representative of human experience or a resemblance to it; in this case however we are focusing on how art represents. The purpose of representation is to inform us, the viewer, of the world and give us an insight into the range and possibilities of it. One example of a representative art piece would be the abstract painting The Persistence of Memory by Dali. This piece represents how people are ultimately aware and affected by time and change; this is encompassed in the presence of soft, pliable watches in the painting which is illuminative of the fact that humanity is aware of change and can perceive something which doesn’t actually have a solid form, i.e. time. Also, within this painting the clocks themselves can be representative of the passage of time in a dream; which too is illuminative of the fact that when we are conscious we are observant of the changes of time unlike in a dream state wherein we are merely observers and have no understanding of the rules of time within a dream.

A second example of representation in art is Picasso’s Guernica which is representational of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. This piece is illuminative of human experience due to the fact that it seems to represent the inhumanity, brutality and hopelessness of war via the imagery of broken bodies and lamenting faces. As a result of this then the Guernica is illuminatory of the reality of warfare and how ultimately, though wars may be a method of fighting against injustice, they also inherently produce it as a product of their cause.

In conclusion, art is illuminative of human experience through both representation (The Guernica) and imitation (David) and allows for us to experience the feelings, memories, ideas and events that have occurred from the perspective of both the viewer/observer and the experiencer; thus art allows us to both empathise and sympathise with what is imitated or represented in art.

(956 words)

Low C grade