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May 4, 2005 If you were in an art museum that was on fire and you had the chance to save one renowned work of art or an elderly woman, which one would you choose to save? The question posed above is one that is asked of many art students in colleges and universities throughout the world. It is one that generates outrage within me, for I can not conceive of how or why anyone would ever even consider saving an object over a living, breathing human being. The woman is old and will most likely die soon anyway, some could argue, whereas, the painting could be preserved to offer others the opportunity of experiencing it for many years to come. My objection to that line of thinking is that it does not matter how old one is, one has a right to live! Referencing her age is also ageist and narrow minded. Regardless of her age, she could be someone who is loved and appreciated by many people. She could even be someone who another or others, including a pet or pets, depend on for care, or…let us say she is a loner, known by few, loved by none – does that mean that she is unworthy of air in her lungs? Would her being a loner constitute her burning to death for the sake of an inanimate object? Absolutely not. As an artist, I strongly believe that art reflects humanity. It can be uplifting, depressing, confrontational, elusive, conventional, avant-garde, simple, elaborate, upsetting, healing, and so on and so on. The very word art is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as “any of various disciplines, such as the humanities, that do not rely on the scientific method.” The word humanities is defined by the same dictionary as “those disciplines, such as philosophy and art, concerned with human thought and culture.” Knowing that this is true, how could any authentic artist choose to let a human being burn to death to save a piece of artwork? Isn’t art reflective of humanity? Wouldn’t a human being come before a representational object? Without hesitation, saving the elderly woman would be my answer to the question. It is the right thing to do, it is the humane thing to do -- and without humanity, there is no art. ------------ About the author: Christine McGuigan-Bruness is a published author and artist who creates "non linear art from the heart." She is an environmentalist, a lover of cats and flowers, and a devotee of free thinking. Her book Imbalance, An Experimental Collection of Micro Stories and Poetry is available through Amazon.com. It can also be directly purchased from the author. Email her for details: chatnoir@comcast.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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