Commerce and the Arts

Definition: The Arts

Traditionally, the arts include the musical arts (e.g., piano music, symphonies), the literary arts (poetry, novels), the dramatic arts (plays), the musicodramatic arts (opera, ballet), and the visual arts (painting, sculpture, drawing), to which modern times have added, for example, cinema, still photography, and computer graphics. A characteristic of the 20th century was a conscious exploration of the distinction between “arts” and “nonarts,” with a consequent blurring of the distinction. As such, it is virtually impossible to find a satisfactory definition of “the arts.” Nor is the distinction between “high art” and “popular art” useful. Historically, the distinction was primarily economic but modern forms of reproduction are removing that distinction: the operas of Wagner are now available on DVD; the paintings of Titian are now available as framed prints. Key to the distinction between art and nonart is authorial intention: Did the creator intend the work to be a work of art?

The Purpose of the Arts

The arts have many purposes, of which four may be singled out; however, the reverse is not also true: Just because something fills one of these purposes does not mean that it is a work of art. First, at the most superficial level, the arts entertain and allow for shows of wealth and affluence: But soccer also does this, and like soccer, such arts tend to be commercially viable.

Second, the arts provide social cohesion. Especially in traditional societies, the arts play a key role in [Page 352]national or ethnic identity: They help distinguish Germans from Nigerians, Canadians from Brazilians, and so it is not surprising that government, where it has the funds to do so, usually plays a strong role in supporting such arts. But national costumes and customs also do this. The arts also play a role in other types of social cohesion, such as religion; for example, Martin Luther understood the importance of communal singing in congregational bonding, and so music played a central role in the development of the Reformation church. However, soccer also provides social cohesion in some societies.

Third, the arts give insight into our humanity by getting us to see the world in a different way; for example, a novel or movie from another culture may invite us to place ourselves in the shoes of the principal character.

Finally, the arts give a voice to the politically oppressed and the dispossessed and are a key vehicle for social change. In South Africa, black musicians played a key role in the battle against apartheid. The sexually explicit photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe challenged our views on the human body and the line between art and pornography. Mart Crowley's 1968 play The Boys in the Band or the 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain challenged entrenched attitudes about homosexuality. The dance group K-PAG Mix, a member of the Kenya Performing Arts Group, has some members who have physical disabilities and some who do not; their dance piece Crossing forces the audience to confront their attitudes about disability and people with disabilities. Each of these examples has, at its core, an ethical component: political oppression and racism, censorship, homophobia, and disability discrimination. By its very nature, some art that challenges will be regarded by the majority within a society as unethical if it conflicts with their norms and beliefs and values; but the examination of why the majority believes it to be unethical fulfills its role as art regardless of whether or not it actually leads to social or political change.

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