ART

Are you good at art?

Art is a really vast subject, I believe and if it is about drawing things here and
there, I would say I am pretty fine at it. But, I am surely not one of those who can
go on to make some master pieces.

I think I am good at, all thanks to the art classes that I attended during my teen
years. They were a great help during my growing years and taught me lot of
creativity. Now, I can easily draw simple day to day things like pen or a face.

Did you learn art at school when you were a child?

Yes. We did have an arts subject during our school days, and we were taught lot of
basic things like how to color, shape or different kinds of paintings.

No, I did not. In our school, there was a choice between arts and music, and I opted
music.

What kind of art do you like?

I love sketching human faces. I really am fascinated by the different moods a face
can easily depict. There is lot that be can said with a human face.

I like sketching natural things, the ones that are very near to nature. It could be
mountains or rivers or the trees, anything that is near to nature.
Is art popular in your country?

I would say, art surely does gets importance as people really like to see great art
work but when it comes down to choosing arts as a career it is not a very popular
choice among people. They prefer pursuing their art goals a mere hobby.

Arts is truly respected in my country. People who can draw well are surely in
demand in fields like army, police and country development. Recently, our prime
minister hired twenty great artist of our country to create designs that will be
painted on the walls of areas which are not very developed. He has a vision to
ensure that every one lives in a nice livelihood.

Have you ever been to an art gallery?

I am not particularly an art fan. So, I have never visited any art gallery, although I
do like watching the paintings made by my friends.

Oh! I have gone there so many times. I love them. It is so much fun to see people
portray so much on a single canvas>

Do you think children can benefit from going to art galleries?

I think definitely yes. Art is that part of our lives that brings out the creative side of
ours. If children go and visit art galleries, they might be able to understand things
better and may be feel motivated to draw things and explore their creative side.
I don’t think children will be very much benefited by just going to art gallery. It is
very important for them to understand what is being shown, what is the meaning,
how it has been made and why is art important. It is only when they understand the
answers to the questions, it makes sense to make children visit art gallery.

Describe the general purpose of art. Why do people enjoy art?

We, humans, are “unique” in our existence and experience. Therefore, it is only
natural that we have our needs and expectation that are unique as well. But among
those unique needs and expectation, that separates us from animals, enjoying art
seems to be something that makes us “truly” unique as humans.

So, what is the general purpose of art? Well, the answer is, art helps us to look at
ourselves little “closer” in a different light by explaining our desire and expectation
in more details which otherwise wouldn’t be possible. With the help of art, we are
able to communicate our social, political, cultural and spiritual ideas in a much
more organized manner so that we feel “challenged” to rethink over the issues and
the subjects that are affecting us and our surroundings on a daily basis.

We enjoy art because it stimulates our hearts and minds to appreciate our lives in a
more positive light. We enjoy art also because it makes us feel “different” by
combining our “unusual motifs” that weave their way into our “subconscious” (or
the “hidden” us) and alter our mood so that we feel free to travel into a different
realm.

That’s quite a challenging question since I’m not really an art specialist. I guess the
general purpose of art would be to provide some beauty or entertainment in the
world. If you look at most of the classical art I think the focus is mostly beauty for
example painting an exquisite picture.

But, I guess art has changed in recent years. Now art is used to bring a message
across or even to shock. Like Banksy, even though his art isn’t really ugly, the
focus is more on the message than how impressive the format actually is.

So, I guess it’s not only beauty, but also some form of mirror of what’s happening
in the world, showing some critique on the current situation.

As to why people enjoy art? I’m not really sure everyone does enjoy art and I
would say that many people have different tastes in art. I assume some people just
enjoy looking at the extraordinary work, while others might just want to be
confronted, or ask questions about the works of art. So, maybe it just depends on
the person.
Do you think that art is as important as academic subjects when it comes to
educating children?

Art builds students' capacity for critical thinking, self-directed learning, and
problem-solving. Critical thinking and problem-solving are alive and well in the art
room. The process of analyzing and creating art challenges students to develop
these skills. Art students are given open-ended problems to solve.

Example:

Creativity. This may seem like a no-brainer, but the arts allow kids to express
themselves better than math or science. As the Washington Post says: In an arts
program, your child will be asked to recite a monologue in six different ways,
create a painting that represents a memory, or compose a new rhythm to enhance a
piece of music. If children have practice thinking creatively, it will come naturally
to them now and in their future career.

Improved Academic Performance. The arts don’t just develop a child’s

creativity—the skills they learn because of them spill over into academic
achievement. PBS says, “A report by Americans for the Arts states that young
people who participate regularly in the arts (three hours a day on three days each
week through one full year) are four times more likely to be recognized for
academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair or to win an award
for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate.”
Modal 2:

Pablo Picasso once said that “every child is an artist. The problem is how to
remain an artist once he grows up”. Therefore, offering children the much-needed
space to create, to explore and to express themselves through art is absolutely
important so that a holistic approach to education can be ensured. However, the
purpose of art as academic subjects is not, and should not be, taught just to produce
some “world-class artists”, but to provide a means of exploring feelings and
experiences and expressing them beautifully which “words”, that we use on a
regular basis, can’t do alone. This is something that every child can experience and
benefit from. In other words, the children should be able to find the true value of
“art” in the process itself as well, not only in the “end product”.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of art education?

There are a number of advantages of art education. In fact, many studies suggest
that art education has many social and academic benefits to students as it promotes
self-directed learning and sharpens creative problem-solving skills and critical
thinking. The arts provide challenges for learners at all levels by connecting
students with their own culture as well as with the rest of the world. Studies also
suggest that Integrating art education with other disciplines helps reach the
students who otherwise wouldn’t feel “engaged” and interested in class works.
However, there are some disadvantages to art education as well. Learning art can
be time-consuming and sometimes can take “decade” to succeed in the “business”
of art. Another major disadvantage of art is, people, in general, don’t exactly
understand the idea of “art”, and therefore, don’t exactly learn to “appreciate” art,
whether it is drama, painting, or music, which can be really depressing and de-
motivating for the aspiring artists.

. Why do you think some people enjoy looking at paintings and sculptures and
others do not?

Answer: The fact, that some people enjoy looking at paintings and sculptures
while others don’t, can be attributed primarily, in my opinion, to how much “art
education” one has received. Besides, this is also an issue of “sensibility” and how
emotionally we get triggered by certain artworks. In fact, there is a theory which
explains that because colors, shapes, sounds and thoughts are all waves form, and
the more we are sensitive to these kinds of waves, the better we can understand an
emotional message, considering that a piece of painting or sculpture essentially is
an expression of an emotion, or transmit it. Besides, another “theory” suggests that
most “visually intelligent” people love art while people who cannot concentrate
upon a single detail for more than 10 seconds cannot enjoy art.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an artist?

Answer: On a metaphysical level, an advantage of being an artist is that he/she has

a heightened sensitivity to the surroundings and being able to nurture it with a
childlike playfulness towards experiences throughout the entire life by having the
satisfaction by creating something “beautiful and special”. But on a practical level,
being an artist allows one to become his or her own “boss” without having to
worry about ‘satisfying’ others.

However, one of the major disadvantages of being an artist is that he/she is not
financially solvent most of the times, and he/she has to rely on some other sources
of income to survive. And, as a result, an artist has no or a very limited social life.
Another disadvantage of being an artist is most people don’t take “art” as an actual
“profession” which can be equally demoralizing and frustrating for a person with a
sense of “self-respect”.

Do you think that some people are naturally better artists than others?

Answer: Yes, I do think that some people are naturally better artists than others,
just like somebody is better in science and mathematics academically, primarily
because of their genetic structure and disposition towards “creativity”. In fact, it is
my opinion that it is the “genetic disposition” of some children who spent much of
their time in their childhood by engaging in creative activity, whether it was
drawing or singing, or whatever that they enjoyed, in order to develop their skills
from the early years of their lives in the process of play.

Of course, some people would choose to argue that it is their “passion” that drives
them to become “better” artists. But, even if I agree with them to some extent just
for the “sake of debate”, I would still argue that if it is not for their “natural
inclination or disposition”, they wouldn’t be able to turn themselves into some
“better” artists.