The Arts in New York City

1. When viewing a work of art, or listening to one, can we see

the truth?  Can we feel it?

Art may or may not represent truth. Even if it does represent ‘truth’, it represents the maker’s truth. For so many things in our lives, there is no one definitive truth. Math and science represent facts and truth; however,  some scientific theories might end up not being true at all, after it is disproved or replaced by another one.

Sometimes an artist’s ‘truth’ may resonate with us as we listen or look at it, then we might be able to feel it. Art can also distort or exaggerate the truth. Just like a caricature may be showing face characteristic the person has, but they are dramatized and even though the overall you will recognize the person in the caricature, he or she will not actually look like that. So whenever we look at any art, we also get the truth but through the eyes of the artist. Several artists may look at the same artist, but each one will also paint it a different way. They might each stress different features of colors of the sunset. Then there is also the interpretation of a work. So the “truth” intended in the art will get distorted several times in the process of creation and interpretation.

I do not believe that the use of mathematical symmetry and geometry in art limits beauty or truth. Symmetry and order make up the world, and can be seen in both the human body and in nature. Tessellations, the Fibonacci sequence, the Golden Ratio, and fractals are all mathematical, yet seen as beautiful aspects of nature. The symmetry is what makes many things aesthetically pleasing, and without it, things can appear chaotic, and often ugly. When these same symmetries and shapes that are present in nature are represented in art, they do not limit the piece’s beauty—they contribute to it. Truth lies in order, and I think by creating something that is mathematically correct, an artist is being more truthful to the way things actually are than if he just painted without any set guidelines. While beauty and truth can definitely be seen outside of the mathematical realm, numbers and symmetry can add to a piece’s veracity and appearance.

When we view, or listen to, a work of art, we make our own assumptions as to what it represents. The assumptions that we make are what we believe to be the truth, regardless of whether the producer of the work agrees. In fact, many times when we view, or listen to, a work of art, we believe it represents something that never even crossed the producer’s mind; the producer has his or her own view of the truth, while we have ours. However, this does not make our version of the truth incorrect. Although there are many facts that cannot be disputed, such as 2 + 2 = 4, there are also many facts that are not as concrete. This is particularly true in art, where each individual can believe the work of art means something and accept it as the truth. As a result, we can see the truth in a work of art because it is up to us to decide what the truth is. An extension of this idea is that we can feel the truth. Just as 2 + 2 = 4 does not raise any concern with anybody, because we know it is the truth, a person’s version of the truth does not raise any concern with him or her. If one truly believes his or her version of the truth, they will be able to feel it and not have any doubts as to its authenticity.

Art is one of the purest expressions of man. Art, ranging from music to painting, is, at its core, catharsis. Not everyone can simply articulate their perception of the world. Not everyone has a desire to. People embrace other forms of art because they are all individuals, and they choose to make art in the first place because they want to share experiences with fellow individuals. Ergo, art is one’s truth in the most distilled form of the concept.

When we experience art, whether we realize this or not, we are exploring the truths of another individual and his sensibilities. That is why art responds to people in so many capacities. It’s why art has survived so long. There is an innate quality to art so truly genuine that we cannot ignore its gravitational force. Whether we feel we understand the piece of art or not, we understand that someone has just revealed the truth about something.