Introduction
Art is a very important element. It is a concept that has been in existence as long as human beings have existed. Art have a lot of importance which can be derived in terms of the values attached to it. The values are of different kinds depending on the type of art and the way people perceive them.
Despite the fact that art has been there since time immemorial, there are still people, especially in developing countries, who do not recognize and appreciate the human values that are contained in these arts as a result of many factors for instance ignorance, which has in turn been caused by lack of proper awareness creation on the values and importance.
The importance of a given piece of art is determined by the message it gives and how well it does so. This therefore necessitates that artists be more careful in their work to ensure that the intended message and meaning is passed to the right people at the right time. They should also ensure that they do no please some people at the expense of hurting the majority, an aspect that could not be received in a positive manner.
There are various forms of art for instance music, paintings, sculpture, dance, theatre, literature as well as architecture. This piece of work is going to give an in depth discussion of Art and human values as well as other aspects associated with it with much emphasis being given to the sectors from which human values can be deduced for instance religion, politics as well as social and cultural sectors.
Regional aspects and Arts
Art has been deemed to have various functions and importance both at individual as well as societal level. Some of the functions of art include entertainment, edification or desire for experience as well as exaltation among others. Some of the values attached to different arts include bringing about social benefits through expression of feelings and social values, aesthetic value and documentation of traditional beliefs among others.
Religion is also another aspect that has been so much into art. Special forms of art are used by different religions and particular meanings attached to them where a slight deviation is treated as a form of blasphemy. Problems occur where art is taken as a form of criticism among religions where some are considered better than others on the basis of the kinds of art that they adopt and use in their religious proceedings and practices.
Art can also be categorized or associated with regions where different regions adopt, present and appreciate different forms of art. Some types of music and theater work could for example be popular in some regions and unknown in others depending on the populations, their culture and what they believe in and adore.
The regional aspect of art can well be understood through the aspect of culture where each culture is characterized by particular elements. The world is however becoming a global village and people are integrating so fast and so is the concept of multiculturalism which has led to spread of various art concepts from one region to the other (Gurley 51).
Art and politics
Art is a very crucial element when it comes to politics and the different aspects that are associated with it. This is so because it is used to perpetrate different political activities and processes through passing of different ideologies and policies in an appropriate and effective manner that allows for easy understanding by the intended target population.
It is even argued that all forms of art are political in nature due to its excessive use to pass political information to the public or else challenge some form of governance. Artists have also been receiving public funds so that they may engage in manipulating people politically, an aspect that have been received with a lot of controversy especially where the artists affect the majority of the public negatively.
Even though there are instances where art has been used positively in politics, the negative aspects seem easier to identify. This is because most of the artists seem to be used by politicians and other interest groups, not for the gain of the public but rather for their own gain and that of the politicians. In other words, art has been viewed as a business and most of the human values cannot be clearly depicted. All in all, this does not disqualify different form of arts as fundamental elements in the contemporary society when it comes to politics.
Another perspective in which arts could be discussed in regard to politics is the manner through which some arts are recognized more than others not because of their content but rather on the basis of the artist and how best he or she is known. This has in a way contributed to lack of nurturing of good talents that would be of greater value to the world as a whole (Gurley 59).
Works Cited
Gurley, Gregory. Art and Human Values. Cognella: San Diego, CA, 2011.