Art is all around us, from the buildings we live in to the bumper stickers on our cars. It is an expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, that produces works that are appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. Every day we see images that influence our thoughts and actions; images that challenge us to think and interpret things differently. Images that widen our thought processes to see more than just from our own point of view. Art plays an essential role in our culture and society by shaping it into what it is today and continues to push us farther intellectually and emotionally. As president of the Art Association at Gustavus, I am writing this manifesto because I believe the NEA should maintain …show more content…
Most artists create artwork as a form of self-expression and to share their ideas with others. If a piece of artwork does not have a solid meaning behind it, the audience is often confused and the piece has no impact at all. Edvard Munch’s The Scream is an example of good artwork. It draws the audience in with its bright colors and visible brush strokes. First, the viewer focuses on the central image within the painting, which is a person who appears to be “screaming” or in some type of shock/terror. It then continues to engage the viewer through the flow of lines within the painting that the eye can naturally follow. This allows the viewer to travel throughout the whole painting. The Scream leaves the audience with a feeling of terror and makes them uncomfortable. This is what makes The Scream so successful; it provokes emotion within the viewer, even if it is not happiness. The Scream was not created to share an idea, instead it was created out of pure emotion from Edvard Munch, who struggled with insanity not only on a personal level during his life, but also through his family. The Scream shows us an honest, even ugly, glimpse of Munch’s inner troubles and feeling of anxiety, putting more importance on personal meaning than on technical skills such as