Is art necessary for evolution?

Add a Comment

Comment by Victoria Folgate on May 7, 2009 at 6:29pm

Thanks Bill, your post was the type of well-thought out and unbias view I was looking to get from people. I agree wholly with what you say, and especially love the quote "seeing what everyone else sees and thinking what no one else thought". I find myself increasing more intrigued by what it must be like to be "the viewer" or "non-artistic". I find myself wondering what the world would be like and ifthere would be any difference in how I wouldmake sense of events and stimuli?

Comment by Bill Millett on April 16, 2009 at 1:28pm

Firstly thank you for putting forward a question and forum that has some relevance.

Is art necessary for evolution?

This depends on what form of evolution you mean. If it is physiological evolution, yes and no but it won’t make us sprout wings. However if it is intellectual /cognitive evolution which may answer the first part, then yes.

Firstly art may assist physiological evolution in that it feeds and moulds the plasticity of the brain allowing growth in differing compartments. Is art necessary for evolution yes relative to brain development.

This answer is two fold. Firstly I will relate the question to the artist , being a creator as opposed to the viewer (obviously they are both). As an artist you will be familiar with the not sleeping process focused intensively on a subject and the ability to dive deep into your emotions. The correlation between manic depressives’ and creative’s has been published in many journals; sadly some pay a heavy price for this gift of creativity. But this is not to say we all pop lithium to keep us stable.
So what part of the brain may evolve? On reflection I would say the limbic region. Notably the thalamus becoming overactive in creative types leading to demands on other areas speech, dexterity and hearing. Not sure but I bet if you did a spatial IQ test on artists you would probably find an above average positive correlation in this area. However, this is not to say creative’s are superior to others, its just they may see things in a different way. We all contribute to human evolution it’s that gestalt bit “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. One could also argue it was attracting sexual partners that led to creativity, being more creative with your peacock feathers.

Thus, what I propose is that art /creativity tests us and pushes us forward, as it should do. Thus art helps prevent evolution from hitting the wall (in this digital/visual age less reliant on word is a new process evolving). The above proposes more questions in the debate.

The viewer: Imagine the viewer of the first cave paintings and the look on the artists face as they both stared at the hand paintings. This was a new world they had stepped into. It was like the first time you saw star wars or Bill Violas “The Messenger" for the first time you are spell bound. Two factors enter the frame you need the ability to create and you also need the ability to appreciate and understand, aerobics for the brain.

Thus, the role of art is not to generate cash. It is to offer reflection, it takes us away from the crassness of life and offers a temple of reflection and through reflection, we release a swarm of neuro transmitters that build up synapse potentials generating thoughts and ideas. Like Einstein lying on the hill observing the clouds to evolve ideas.

Why does art exist? why have creative’s evolved ? Like water and heat they are essential to existence. As Szent - Gyorgyi said “seeing what everyone else sees and thinking what no one else thought" that is the creative. Give me a Rothko any day a diamond studded skull means zilch.

The question your forum has put forward has an importance in the context of evolutionary psychology and art. Hopefully it generates useful discussions that may inform both schools of thought for further analysis.
Regards Bill

Comment by valentina on April 10, 2009 at 10:24am

Hi Victoria I find your question very interesting and I like giving an opinion of mine , in fact every day I wonder if may art is or not useful and if it is worth doing this...People ask me too...why are you doing this? Do you sell? This is the main problem for many people because everything is calculated with money. Fortunately creative people exist. I dont talk about me...but I think about all the big artists I have discovered here or during my studies...I think that the biggest danger is to be all equal; diversity is progression, is life, is colour. And the artists have the courage to be different. This gives us hope 'cause accepting different points of view we're free, life is not a cage anymore, but a world without bounderies....

Comment by Victoria Folgate on April 9, 2009 at 7:52am

I am interested in the viewpoints of creative people.....I have recently read a book called "the mating mind" which suggests that the main reason our society and understanding has progressed since the cave painting days is due to creative and free thought. Does this therefore mean that creative types are neccessary for the survival of the species?