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Introduction

"The theory of art as representation say we value art because it faithfully informs us but also because it does more than this it offers us insights and knowledge that are not factual or scientific; in a sense art informs us in a special way in a way that only art can." Do you agree with this idea that art imparts special kinds of knowledge and understanding or imparts it in a unique sort of way? Give reasons and examples that support your answer. The Theory of Art as Representation suggests that we, human beings, value artwork for its abilities to faithfully inform us and impart knowledge to us; artwork does this through either representing or resembling (i.e. imitating reality). As it is artwork is an expression of human creativity and so therefore, under that assumption, it must convey said creativity to viewers unless it is not expressing the creativity of the human mind in an appropriate manner. It is true though that some pieces of artwork are abstract and so their meanings are not always discernable but they still convey a level of creativity, information, to us through either the choice of the medium, the media used and even the colours chosen. ...read more.

Middle

The 'Vitruvian Man' is a proportionally accurate sketch of the male body and imparts upon us, the viewer, the fact that for over two thousand years humanity has been striving for perfection; from as far back as the Ancient Egyptians with their cures for baldness and ugliness to the modern era where we have plastic surgery. The Vitruvian Man then is illuminative of the natural human predisposition towards perfection; it imparts upon us the way in which the human mind is inherently wired to seek symmetry, order and organised perfection. It is far more effective than such things as extensive medical texts and psychology books can be due to the direct, visualisation of the interpretation of the human psyche. It informs us in a visual and representative way that a body of text can't; visual images (the drawing) are shapes that our minds recognise and remember, whereas text is a large amount that requires more of our memory to work thus making it harder to recall in detail. Visual explanations are better at conveying information, deeper truths also, and so art that informs us of something (like diagrams do) ...read more.

Conclusion

Saving Private Ryan shows to us that, even when there is so much hurt, death and pain in the world, selfless, heroic and emotional acts can still be carried out by those who dare to fight against adversity. Essentially artwork imparts upon knowledge that is not entirely factual or scientific; the feelings that a song such as 'Coming Home' can instil in us is not logical and isn't entirely understood in a scientific manner. Artwork is unique in the manner in which it teaches us emotional understanding, comprehension, of things we've never, personally, experienced before in our own lives but has been experienced by others who have shared their stories and memories with the rest of humanity in a bid to show the different aspects of life and humanity itself. Art is a product of human creativity, not logic nor thought-process, it is something that is inherently instinctual and must, to some degree at least, invoke an emotional response to the piece otherwise its purpose is merely to copy and imitate in a cold and emotionless way (acting, can't relate to characters if they're played wrong; i.e. happy character played in a cold, stand-offish manner). (864 words) Unknown Grade ...read more.

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge section.