Art is something that has been a part of human culture and activity for a long time. So it seems like we have started to take for granted the roles and importance of art to our society and the world. One of the essential functions of art is to express the struggles and emotions in the community that we live in and inspire people to cope with and/or overcome these struggles.

However, it is disheartening that many people already feel that art is something distant from their daily lives or try to make art far away from their everyday lives intentionally in many global society parts. It feels as though people are no longer inspired by art, and it is no longer a part of our existence.

So, does art no longer have a role in the modern world today? Does it still inspire people in the global community today? What is considered art in today’s world? These are some of the questions that we need to ask and issues that we need to thrash out.

The truth is, there are different forms of art, and it also exists in many communities, countries, and cultures. It is not something that we can wipe off so easily as it has been in existence since the beginning of time. There is evidence in rock art and cave paintings, and even though we know how important it can be as an economic force, we continue to doubt and ask questions of it.

There are times when people have dismissed beautiful works of art with the excuse that they do not understand it, or it is something they think they can do. This way, they tend not to value this art for very trivial and frivolous reasons. When people do this, it shows the decline in the level of creativity and creative thinking in the modern world, which does not bode well for us.

However, art is still essential even in this modern world, and here are some reasons why we still need art in our world today.

Art is a natural human behavior

A primal behavior of human beings is to create art. This is something that we see with the kids around us. They tend to make art out of their instinct without even knowing that what they are creating is art, or even what art is. The truth is all cultures have their art. The same way that laughter and language are fundamental human behaviors, art is also an innate human behavior. It is who we are, and it is impossible to separate art from the human. Otherwise, you will have an incomplete human.

Art is communication

Like communication, art helps us express ourselves very well and is an excellent medium to share information and express ideas. Art is a medium that people use to communicate things that they may not understand fully or express in another way. With art, we have a channel that allows us to share visions, ideas, and thoughts that we might find hard to articulate in words or some other forms. Art gives us that range of expression.

Art brings healing

It can be soothing and relaxing to create or experience a work of art. Art has the power to stimulate and revitalize people. The process that people also go through to create art engages their bodies and their minds, allowing us to reflect and look inward. When we experience art many times, it gives us a reason to be reflective and think, and it might also inspire us in many ways. With art, we have a place to reflect, a haven to run to, somewhere that we can engage ourselves. It helps our health in many ways, both the physical and mentally healthy.

Art is used for storytelling

There are not many better ways to preserve culture, keep historical records, history lessons, and even an autobiography than art. Art can be used to document experiences and events that make it possible for us to understand our history better. The arts that we do today will be history for the people who come after us, the same way we see arts, we have learned history from the arts of those that came before us. Art can also be used to reflect our cultural values as a people and our identities and beliefs. Although we are in the modern world, we know that our world is a collection of different communities. So, the best way to preserve our identities, beliefs, and cultures is art. Art also mirrors our experiences and lives over time. So, we still need art for understanding and sharing our history individually and collectively.

Art is an experience that can be shared

Creating art is an activity that is done collectively. Different forms of art, such as theatre, dance, and choir, always require an audience and some artists. This always brings about a shared experience that brings people together and promotes collectivism. Even those artists that seem to be into solitary artworks such as poets and painters, also need to rely on the bookbinder's craft and the paint makers to create their art successfully. So, art is a reason for people to come together, have and share experiences that bind them further. Even the poet needs people to read their poems. Art is always an experience that is shared.

Art Is Still Very Necessary In Our World

While there might be people that think that they can do without art or have the opinion that art is no longer necessary in today’s world, it is only right to point out how wrong they are. Their misconception comes from their inability to understand what art is. Art is still vital in our world. It is not only necessary; it is an essential part of it. The graffiti on the streets, the memes on the internet, and the selfies on social media are all art. They provoke a reaction from people that experience it, and that is what art is. Whether it is a positive or negative reaction does not matter. Art has come through different generations and times. Its uses have also varied with the dispensation, but it has continued to evolve and remain relevant, and today is still very applicable to use.

Conclusion

Art is not an everyday thing and is not one of those things that will die off with modernization or ‘civilization’ as we know it. It has remained immemorial, has gone through different civilizations, varied in importance and use in other times but managed to stay relevant. Indeed, it isn’t about to lose relevance in the modern world, is it?

• Prev
• Next