TOEFL iBT Wriging for an Academic Discussion The significance and impact of art on individuals and communities (Revised)

Art has been an integral part of human culture for millennia, serving various purposes and taking countless forms. From ancient cave paintings to contemporary digital installations, art reflects and shapes our experiences, values, and identities. In your opinion, what are some of the roles of art in society today? Discuss their significance and impact on individuals and communities.

 

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.       In medieval ages art played a significant role in delivering religious teachings in the form of pictures in churches and temples. Does art play the same kind of role today?

2.       Share examples of Wendy’s idea of the role of art.

3.       Share examples of Adrian’s idea of the role of art.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Impacts of Art on Individuals

1.        It increases our knowledge about the world and humans through their expressions.

2.        It helps us (to) develop our emotions, sensitivity, and sense of beauty.

3.        It cultivates our imagination and creativity.

4.        It protects the best part of human soul by purifying it by processing reality with formalized expressions. It can save an individual’s soul through healing, fascination, passion, and faith.

5.        It records what photographs and videos cannot record. In other words, it records what happens in our mind.

 

Impacts of Art on Community

1.        Art develops culture by making it colorful and layered. It enriches our lives. Like other cultures, art makes our lives different from those of animals. It makes meaning in our everyday behavior.

2.        It makes people aware of issues. e.g. Fahrenheit 9.11 and other Michael Moore movies

3.        It helps create a movement. e.g. Anti-war movement, B.L.M., etc.

4.        It creates styles and fashion. e.g. American fashion in the 1970s and the street fashion in New York

5.        It tells the stories of human society and history.

 

 

☆Sample Response for Ideas and Expressions  (Written first in 2024)

【Thesis】Although I have been a worshipper of art and have shared the same expectations for art to make a breakthrough in society by raising awareness about issues as Wendy points out, I became skeptical of it recently due to the silence of most artists about the ongoing Israeli genocide on Gaza.

【Supporting Details】For over 9 months, during which time the world witnessed the deaths of more than 160,000 Palestinians due to attacks and lack of necessities inflicted on them by Israel, whose officials call them human animals, there has been an eerie silence among major artists, revealing their true nature as a cog of the machine. The huge screens above Shibuya Crossing never show a pop-star condemning the crime against humanity, let alone the horrible images from Gaza. There is no big anti-war concert like Woodstock. It took 7 months for Macklemore’s “Hinds Hall” to be online for awareness and donation. It was uplifting but still was after Gaza was totally flattened.

【Counterargument-treatment】There are exceptions. Graffiti artist Banksy, for instance, keeps trying to raise awareness of issues. Some artists like the rock legend Roger Waters, Francis Coppola of Documentary Michael Moore, and the walking resistance Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine had been vocal about the apartheid and atrocities for decades and were the first to defend Palestinians after October 7th. Artists4Ceasefire.org, consisting of 400 artists, was organized immediately after October 7 and called for actions. Actress Suzan Sarandon lost her job for criticizing Israel in a month or so. In Japan, Mr. Furusawa, an actor and activist, performs with pro-Palestinian signs in Tokyo every day. Kazehito Seki, a noise musician, has been jailed for months for spray-painting graffiti saying, “FREE GAZA” on government properties, and there are some other artists using their skills to tell the truth. However, all the other artists around the world keep their mouth shut on this crime of the century, and thus the public won’t pay much attention to the issue. The same happened in the past. Charlie Chaplin made “The Great Dictator” when Hitler Nazis was on its zenith. He was exceptional, but his action was an exception. Most artists during WWII were silent. Many even helped boost the fighting spirit. Both were complicit with slaughters. Most artists today are complicit with the massacre of innocent children, women, and men.

【Conclusion】Most of the power of art is in the artists, and when most artists are not compassionate and courageous enough to do their jobs to help their fellow humans who have been exposed to illegitimate punishment, I cannot pay any homage to those who call themselves artists. Their roles in society are no different from any other ordinary workers’, and with them art never challenges or changes the status quo, never transcending the dark side of the humankind. (465 words)