Project 2
Question I
There are several reasons why there is a need for humans to express their ideas through created artifacts. First, humans want to show their understanding of different cultures via created objects. As such, they will create an artifact that helps them convey their perception of a given culture to others. For example, Michelangelo used the creation of Adam artifact to share his understanding of the creation of the first man. There are many theories about the origin of man. So, Michelangelo wanted to demystify the story of the creation of man as outlined in the bible. Humans use artifacts to express themselves because these artifacts offer a long-lasting tool to communicate historical experiences. In this regard, Michelangelo desired to tell the story of Adam’s creation to his generation and many more future generations. By choosing the painting artwork, he managed to explain other aspects of the story that many people could not recognize from the story.
Also, humans need to express their feelings through artifacts. Arguably, artifacts provide an excellent medium to share ones` opinions regarding a given event. Equally, humans can evoke the feelings of others by using the artifacts to express their feelings. Michelangelo’s artifact evokes mixed reactions from different people. Moreover, humans employ artifacts to express their understanding of specific controversial issues. Michelangelo painted the artwork to help humanity to comprehend better creation of man. He managed to show how the man received life from God. Such a portrayal helps to clarify the story about the origin of man.
The concept of creative expression and art has informed my explanation about why humans require expressing themselves via created artifacts. Creative expression is primarily the use of various forms of artwork like music, play, paintings, and sculptures to express one’s feelings. Understanding this concept informed my explanation about the need for humans to express themselves through the artifacts. Artists communicate their feelings and share their stories and experiences with others through their artwork.
Question II
I think human creative expression and culture impact one another in that humans express their culture by creating artifacts that exemplify their beliefs and feelings. Most artists are influenced by their culture when creating artifacts. They reveal to others their values through the artifacts. For many years, humans have shown how their culture impacts their understanding of various life issues. For example, Michelangelo expressed his religious culture through the creation of Adam artifact. Also, the culture influences the choice of the medium and geographical location where an artifact is created. In the case of Michelangelo’s artwork, he chose to develop it in Sinister Chapel because of its religious theme. Similarly, the culture influences the medium for the creation of an artifact. Michelangelo used painting since it was a dominant medium in Rome. The religious subject was also a great concern to many people during the time of Michelangelo.
The popular culture and high culture is a concept in our course that informed my explanation. Often, creators of artifacts are impacted by either the popular culture or high culture in creating artifacts. Michelangelo got influenced by popular culture in Rome while creating the artwork. During his time, religion was a popular culture among many people in Rome. So, he decided to express his understanding of the creation of man. The creation of man was a controversial issue during his time, and it remains controversial. Therefore, by choosing to paint the artifact, he shed some light on the subject.
Question III
I believe human creative expression may impact the issues we deal with in contemporary society by permitting other individuals to view things from a wider angle. The human creative expression offers diverse perceptions about a topic. In other words, different people express their viewpoints concerning a given issue. That way, humanity acquires a broader perspective on a topic. Additionally, human creative expression allows the sharing of different views about a concern to many people. So, human creative expression enlightens society about significant issues in today’s society. Consequently, more people can develop a common outlook on a given matter. When Michelangelo created the artifact about Adam’s creation, he helped many to understand the story of the creation of man. The artifact has helped many contemporary people to understand better the Bible story about God’s creation of man.
The concept of cultural relativism and ethnocentrism informed my explanation. It made me notice that individuals view issues differently. Mainly, this is so because of the biases in their thinking. Human creative expression can free people from cultural relativism so that they can learn to view some issues from a broader perspective.