Through the prism

“Life, death and in between Art”. Nikos Engonopoulos sums up in a nutshell a fundamental principle: art is an inalienable part of human life. More accurate, art itself is life, while life is trying to imitate art until death succeeds her. By definition this concept requires the existence οf a recipient – let us not forget that the nature of Creation not only isn’t introverted but lies in the basic need of humans for expression and communication. Therefore, the frame in which ideas are born, shaped and evolved for pleasure but also musing, is none other than the home of human coexistence and interaction: society.

An artwork arises from the artist’s desire to react to a specific experience. Whether it aims to raise concern, or to instill emotions, on the substance the person through their unique and peculiar view sheds light in a part of the surrounding world. And thus, raises their thought from a personal and specific level to a catholic, in order to approach, to move as someone would say, the consciousness and psyche of as many people as possible. Obviously, the subject that is being presented through their art is indissolubly connected with the data of the era and society they live and act in. Consequently, the artwork becomes a symbol of a specific spot in time and place, because it represents its history, its socio-political structures, its struggles and the broader interactions of people.

That’s why art is timeless. It is truly admirable the fact that while people are worn and lost, the artworks they leave behind are non-disposable in time and gradually become our roots. Their timelessness allows them to approach later civilizations, to spread ideas and to serve as the basis so that on them new perceptions become established and finally progress is being made. Without the artistic stock of the past, we would not know much about our identity, and so we would go without a mental “compass”, a steady reference point. Timelessness, however, does not detract in any way from progress. Precisely because society is considered to be a dynamic entity and not a static one, art follows society’s growth rates.

This adaptability results in the various movements and new styles, the recognition of modern forms of art at intervals, even revolutions, that break the rules, the norms and the limits. Besides, art doesn’t accept oppression. Art is intertwined with freedom, inspiration, light and truth. It exists so it can serve the ones whose spirit is free from any form of prejudice, obsession and complacence, offering them an explanation of the world. Also, it exists so it can inflame a debate, through which the social phenomena that don’t correspond to the ideals it represents, violence, bigotry, silencing and others, will be abolished. In short, it functions as an antidote to obscurantism, or equally, as a push for progress and recreation.

In times such as the ones we are going through now, when the stranglehold is getting more and more intense from every aspect, art is one of the few shelters remaining for us. When the walls of our house seem to threateningly encircle us, the only way to break free is to look up, letting our spirit elevate. More than ever before, humanity is in need of revitalization and the fresh look the view of the world through this prism has to offer us. And I am saying prism, because art is not just a mere reflection of society, like a mirror would be. Just like a prism with a glimmer of white light, art takes reality, diffracts it and renders it as a colorful spectrum, almost in a magical way.

This spectrum contains a lot of different shades for every aspect of human life. Red for love and romance, green for hope and the vision of a beautiful and peaceful society. Purple for loss, dark blue for loneliness, yellow for uncertainty and concerns. After all, we need art because the essence of socialization is to share whatever concerns the mind and whatever the soul searches for. Raise questions and doubt when the world seems suffocating and corrupted, communicate your awe when it seems undreamed and magnificent, arouse your imagination and your emotions when the existing stimuli are not enough for you to live and dream.

Author: Eleni Manta
“Life, death and in between Art”. Nikos Engonopoulos sums up in a nutshell a fundamental principle: art is an inalienable part of human life. More accurate, art itself is life, while life is trying to imitate art until death succeeds her. By definition this concept requires the existence οf a recipient – let us not forget that the nature of Creation not only isn’t introverted but lies in the basic need of humans for expression and communication. Therefore, the frame in which ideas are born, shaped and evolved for pleasure but also musing, is none other than the home of human coexistence and interaction: society.

An artwork arises from the artist’s desire to react to a specific experience. Whether it aims to raise concern, or to instill emotions, on the substance the person through their unique and peculiar view sheds light in a part of the surrounding world. And thus, raises their thought from a personal and specific level to a catholic, in order to approach, to move as someone would say, the consciousness and psyche of as many people as possible. Obviously, the subject that is being presented through their art is indissolubly connected with the data of the era and society they live and act in. Consequently, the artwork becomes a symbol of a specific spot in time and place, because it represents its history, its socio-political structures, its struggles and the broader interactions of people.

That’s why art is timeless. It is truly admirable the fact that while people are worn and lost, the artworks they leave behind are non-disposable in time and gradually become our roots. Their timelessness allows them to approach later civilizations, to spread ideas and to serve as the basis so that on them new perceptions become established and finally progress is being made. Without the artistic stock of the past, we would not know much about our identity, and so we would go without a mental “compass”, a steady reference point. Timelessness, however, does not detract in any way from progress. Precisely because society is considered to be a dynamic entity and not a static one, art follows society’s growth rates.

This adaptability results in the various movements and new styles, the recognition of modern forms of art at intervals, even revolutions, that break the rules, the norms and the limits. Besides, art doesn’t accept oppression. Art is intertwined with freedom, inspiration, light and truth. It exists so it can serve the ones whose spirit is free from any form of prejudice, obsession and complacence, offering them an explanation of the world. Also, it exists so it can inflame a debate, through which the social phenomena that don’t correspond to the ideals it represents, violence, bigotry, silencing and others, will be abolished. In short, it functions as an antidote to obscurantism, or equally, as a push for progress and recreation.

In times such as the ones we are going through now, when the stranglehold is getting more and more intense from every aspect, art is one of the few shelters remaining for us. When the walls of our house seem to threateningly encircle us, the only way to break free is to look up, letting our spirit elevate. More than ever before, humanity is in need of revitalization and the fresh look the view of the world through this prism has to offer us. And I am saying prism, because art is not just a mere reflection of society, like a mirror would be. Just like a prism with a glimmer of white light, art takes reality, diffracts it and renders it as a colorful spectrum, almost in a magical way.

This spectrum contains a lot of different shades for every aspect of human life. Red for love and romance, green for hope and the vision of a beautiful and peaceful society. Purple for loss, dark blue for loneliness, yellow for uncertainty and concerns. After all, we need art because the essence of socialization is to share whatever concerns the mind and whatever the soul searches for. Raise questions and doubt when the world seems suffocating and corrupted, communicate your awe when it seems undreamed and magnificent, arouse your imagination and your emotions when the existing stimuli are not enough for you to live and dream.

Author: Eleni Manta

Photography by Theoni Gesiou, Eleni Santoli

Related Posts

Osmosis - TEDx AUTH
Read More
The Cleaningans - TEDx AUTH
Read More
lets-talk-about-comedy
Read More