|
Monday, August 18, 2008
How many times have we heard people around us declaring their desperate need to escape? When the workplace gets too pent up with stress, many start packing their bags for a holiday. That is 'escaping', literally. Well, of course not everyone can afford a getaway or even a plane ticket just like that, so where do the rest of the 'escapists' go? On a busy train ride home today, I somehow stumbled upon my answer.
Art and expression has always been part of society since life began. It just merely took on very different forms as humans evolved along. Along the way, this led to the parallel connection between the needs human have been yearning to fulfill and the development of artistic culture in society. But the bottom line is that art and expression exist because of an 'escapist' nature inside every single one of us.
Now, don't get agitated and jump into arguments against the previous statement. By 'escapist' here I do not imply any negative connotation. It is, to me, just the simplest word to substitute 'let out', arguably another word for 'expression'. Fact is, even as many are resisting change in their lives, we are subconsciously seeking ways to 'escape' from the status quo. The simple act of stepping out of one's comfort zone hints of that.
Art comprises of different things to people. For the sake of simplicity, I define it here as perhaps a collective name for literature, architecture, drama, music, paintings and so on. When we read a good poem or watch a good play that we relate to, we are in a way 'escaping'. We either subconsciously form an imagery of a world we want to live in, or direct a dramatic scene to encapsulate what we are feeling. When we admire a painting, we separate time from our continuous reality by creating a static tabloid of our life with that frame on the wall. When we listen to music, we let ourselves go. We attach our memories and events to the melodies, after which we move on to listen to another, thus 'escaping' from it. And when we want to revive the emotions brought about by those events, we press play on those songs again. In this way, we are constantly searching for both a separation, as well as a connection for ourselves to use conveniently - a classic contradiction and hypocrisy found in human nature indeed.
Amazingly, art and expression do not conform to any geographical boundaries at all. There is no one country in the world that has no hints of art. This further adds to the conclusion that it is the humans that have created this need for expression, not just one society, one race, but everyone, and almost every other living thing, I dare say. In this way, people who express themselves through different forms of art and people who appreciate these artworks are somewhat transcending across boundaries and doing exactly what they preached - the much wanted 'escape by travelling'.
Recently, I felt the need to travel. I could have whined and fantasized about going overseas despite my tight schedule, but a simple visit to the library has settled that. On the eighth storey of the National Library in the heart of the city, I quietly travelled the world alongside the likes of Tadao Ando and Frank Lloyd Wright. It was pure art - architecture, at its very best.
|
|
