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, for example, art played a significant role in delivering the
teachings of Christianity. Stained glass pictures in church windows told the
stories of the Bible and music was used to sing psalm. Architecture developed
with church designs. Does art play the same kind of part of today’s society?
2.
What
is the significance and impact of art on individuals and communities?
☆Sample Answer for Ideas and Expressions
【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 nature as part of the industry. The
huge screens above Shibuya Crossing never show a pop-star condemning the threat
to humanities, 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, which was encouraging but still was after Gaza was totally
flattened.
【Counterargument-treatment】There are exceptions. Some artists
like the rock legend Roger Waters, Francis Coppola of Documentary Michael Moore,
and walking resistance Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine had been vocal
about the apartheid and atrocities in Gaza by Israel for decades and were the
first to defend Palestinians after October 7th. Artists4Ceasefire.org,
consisting of 400 artists, started immediately after October 7 and called for
actions. Actress Suzan Sarandon lost her job for criticizing Israel in a month
or so. In Japan, 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. But other
than them, almost all the artists around the world, who talk about love and
peace, keep their mouth shut on this crime of the century, and thus the public
won’t pay much attention to the issue. Charlie Chaplin made “The Great Dictator”
when Hitler Nazis was on its zenith. He was exceptional and his action was an
exception as well.
【Conclusion】Power of art to change the world
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, and their roles in society are no different from any other ordinary
worker. (395
words)
