Art


 * Art**

Art is an expression of emotion. Art is something you feel in your soul, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you. Diderot and d’Alembert believe that “The liberal arts have sung their own praise long enough; they should now raise their voice in praise of the mechanical arts”. Art isn’t logic or mechanics, it is thoughtful and feelings. Diderot and d’Alembert believe that we are all too lazy to appreciate mechanical arts, we like the liberal arts more because we don’t have to work to grasp their concepts. It has nothing to do with laziness though. Liberal arts open to a world of possibilities and discoveries, while the mechanical arts are confined to one dimension. Diderot and d’Alembert say that, “far more praise has been heaped on those men who spend their time making us believe we are happy, than on those who actually bring us happiness.” Shouldn’t praise be equally shared? Isn’t believing we are happy just as important as having happiness brought into our lives? In fact, if you first and foremost believe you are happy you will be more likely to be able to bring happiness into your own life. What you feel when you listen to a happy song is just as important as how you feel when you are reading a book about happiness. Diderot and d’Amlembert also said that, “The general purpose of any art… is to impress specific forms onto the basic element provided by nature.” They went on to say that this element could be matter, spirit or some function of the soul. I say that the general purpose of any art should be to evoke emotion, stir spirits and uplift the soul. All art is important, liberal and mechanical. Believing you are happy is just as important as being happy.