There has never been a culture without art. Many countries do not have separate words for "art" or "music" because they are considered part of life. Going back to our roots and beginnings shows us how from early on that we humans have found that there is something special about art. In the past, art was first used not only as a means of expression, but primarily for it's powers of healing and resolution
Art and it's pastThere has never been a culture without art. With all the struggles of survival in the past, cultures still took time for art. Art has been around before language. Art has been used as a communication tool for thousands of years, and has been used as a means for conflict resolution, group interaction, diagnosis, and self-expression. It is obvious that the therapeutic use of art has existed for centuries. Art has endured time, and transcended it, as a means of healing power. There are numerous examples of how art was the main source of healing in our past. The art form of music and dance can be seen present in the early human existence of tribes. Music and dance were combined with costumes and storytelling, and paintings and objects to perform rituals, which in modern times could be called theater or performance art. The same seed of creativity connects forgotten ancestors and modern artists. |
Throughout history we see just how important art has been to civilizations all over the world. The impact art has had on every culture is bigger than most think. Art directly impacts and shapes cultures. We define and recognize cultures many times by their art. When we see a hieroglyph or a pyramid, there is no doubt in our minds that these works of art are from the Egyptian people/culture. Many of the works of art in cultures served greater purposes than just merely decoration and/or expression. Many works were used for rituals, forms of worship, medicine, everyday activities, and so on. Many native cultures utilized music with percussion including song and dance as part of rituals. Rituals were done for various reasons, including worshiping gods, celebrations, harvest rituals, weather preparations, and medicine and healing the sick. Tibetan monks, for an example still use the ancient ways of chanting, playing bells, and “singing bowls” as part of their prayer and healing. Rituals were sacred in ancient times and were part of a culture’s well-being. Shamans became specialists in going inward to one’s place of creativity and healing. Buddhist and Christian artwork participated on the principle that listening to certain sounds and meditating on images put a person in a sacred state that helped heal them. Cultures also used the arts to produce healing situations and emotions. The purpose of Greek dramas were primarily to produce an emotional catharsis. Navajo sand paintings’ imagery told a traditional healing story and the healer told the story of the painting to a tribe, as it was being made. It was believed that the colors, shapes, and story directly affected the spirits and healed the patients. In many past cultures it was believed that art healed the world, not just an individual. There is evidence that many tribes used art and music for the outcome of hunts, crops, fertility, weather, tribe community life, and the entire earth, and believed that art helped create positive outcomes for situations. Ancient civilizations always had artwork of some kind, serving a specific purpose and/or as pleasure. Whenever one was sick, they would bring the sick person to a medicine man, shaman, or wise elder. Whoever the sick were brought to, the “doctor” would use a combination of various art types like visual, dance, and music, to heal the sick. In Minoan art, there was a room with an aquatic scene of dolphins and fish, merely for decoration and enjoyment, which in turn created a more relaxing, positive environment. Many traditional cultures believed that art not only healed individual, but it also helped heal the world. They felt that art had a direct impact on the world surrounding them. An example is that many believed that art and music changed the outcomes of weather, affected fertility, the life of groups/tribes, change the outcomes of hunts, and the earth as a whole.