I have noticed something... Whenever I want to ‘channel’ my inner historian and critic, all I have to do is go to a public place – which is strange for me seeing that I’m not fond of crowds. I have realised that the reason for this sudden surge of inspiration is simply that when I am surrounded by people, I am obviously surrounded by cultures.
For me, culture is the way of life for individuals within a society – it encompasses things like our language, our actions, the way we interact with each other and so on. The way we are raised and that which we observe within our societies, influences what we do, and even the way we think and interpret everything around us. Culture is the glue that binds a society together.
Anything that forms part of our culture will inevitably influence what we are good at and not – it all comes down to what we are exposed to. In my own case, I am generally more adept at interpreting art because I was raised in a home where we were exposed to fine art and other artistic endeavours.
A society’s culture can also influence their advancement. If a certain culture encourages academic advancement for instance, that society will produce more academics* than another society which doesn’t encourage it. And if a society prohibits the use of technology, that society will obviously not advance technologically. It is important to note however, that just because your cultural surroundings originally excluded you from certain things, doesn’t mean you cannot expose yourself to it now. After all, by expanding your own horizons, you influence those around you and thus you start to enhance your own culture.
Art and culture has always had a symbiotic relationship – the one influences the other and both help each other to grow and improve. The Renaissance is a perfect example of this: not only was the Renaissance an era of great artistic endeavours, but it was a time of cultural development as well. For the development of both art and culture, it is thus very important that both not only positively influence each other, but that they also encourage each other’s development.
John F. Kennedy said: “If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” I couldn’t agree more. The day that art is hindered as a result of “cultural reasons”, I think that society will be on its way to a dramatic fall.
Blessings,
Mel
* As well as philosophers (thinkers) – these people have a great influence on the advancement within a society.
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Interesting approach
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
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