The Role of an Artist
In all its forms, art is a part of our daily life, whether we realize or not. Throughout centuries the birth of arts in all their variety has deeply influenced mankind. The ability to create something that does not directly help the individual to modify his environment is considered one of those features that separate man from beast, a superior being from an inferior one. Without going into all the details regarding the history of this form of culture, let us concentrate on the present time and try to identify the key aspects.
All forms of art have a deep and powerful relationship with morality. What is beautiful is often linked with what is good. This does not necessarily signify that all works of art promote traditional moral concepts. In fact, the majority of them tend to contradict the previous moral ideal. However, the point is that all artists express in their creations some sort of system of values. They condemn certain things and/or they approve other. No matter how hidden it may be, in some form or other, morality is present in a novel, a painting, even a sculpture.
An extremely important role in everything an artist does is played by the message he wants to send, which is intimately connected with morality. Therefore, a writer, a painter, a musician and so on, forms a message that consists of judgments of values. In the great majority of cases the artist criticizes particular aspects of society which he feels need improvement. He can reach his objective in multiple ways. For example, he can choose to illustrate real life situations and expand on them, or he can invent a fictional world that confronts with those negative aspects. However, they do not offer solutions on every occasion. They sometimes may limit their role to underlining the main problems that contribute to our unhappiness and distress. But this does not minimize in any way their contribution. They go through the same problems as everyone else. They desire change and if they cannot offer any insight in this sense, they continue to persist and not let people ignore their situation in the hope that eventually someone will come and alter the status quo. The negative message expressed by an artist is sometimes a warning to the present society to change its ways. It has a prophetical character.
Famous writer Franz Kafka offered the world one of the most disturbing novels, "The Trial". In this work of art, he presents a conception of law that borders absurdity. Yet, as it turned out it was not that far from reality,(although it never left the realm of irrationality) in fascist and communist legal systems. However, an artist can also opt to emphasis positive aspects of society that need to be developed and encouraged. Most times this goes without saying, because seldom only the negative or only the positive aspects are presented.
No matter how tempting it may be, the message expressed by an artist does not play the leading role in a work of art. If it did then why not just write it down on a random piece of paper? Why use, for example, an orchestra? The answer to both questions is because the message loses its meaning and influence if it is not accompanied by certain elements which make the receiver shiver and feel something different. That is the reason. Remember that usually the artist criticizes an aspect of the relationship between people. But if the problem is fixed? What happens then? Does the work of art lose its value because someone gave an answer to the message expressed by the artist? Can a novel based on the Nazi's atrocities still make the reader feel sad even though the Nazis are long gone? What if the person who enjoys the work of an artist gives interprets the message in a different way? Maybe a true artist leaves space for interpretation.
Whatever the case may be, society will always need artists. In fact, the artist has a duty not to himself, but to the members of society to complete his projects and give each and every one of us a new way to see things and interpret life.
