FIRST COLLEGE PAPER!!!
Prompt: "In literature and other popular arts there are two general approaches to what the main purpose of art is. Some people feel that art's sole purpose is to illuminate life. In other words, they feel that art is supposed to allow the readers, viewers, and listeners to examine their own lives because of what they learned or received from experiencing the art. Other people feel that art is like a mirror that it shows or reflects to the readers, viewers, and listeners something about their condition because it reminds them of something specific from their lives. One could argue that these two approaches to art are very similar because they aim at the same thing - the viewer should leave the experience with a new understanding of themselves from what they have just witnessed.
Art has many forms. Film, music, paintings, television, poetry, theatre, comedy, and books are all examples of art. For this assignment I want you to pick your favorite piece of art and discuss it in the terms I presented above. Your main goal is to determine what side of the arguement you feel you support. You may discuss your favorite film, song, book, and so forth. You should not take a general approach to this. For example, you should not discuss just music; you should discuss one specific song by a particular musician and directly tell the reader if it illuminates or mirrors your life and why. You will need to tell the reader why it is your favorite film, song, or book and you should refer to the art directly so that the reader understands why it is important to you."
Fallen
If I look around my surroundings wherever I am, it is very likely that I will observe some form of art work. Art has a wide range including but not limited to: music, paintings, books, poetry, comedy, television, dance, clothing, film, and my favorite, photography. While I love music and I will listen to anything, my passion is photography. I strongly agree with the statement, “Art is like a mirror and that it shows or reflects to the readers, viewers, or listeners something about their condition because it reminds them of something specific from their lives” because they have a personal connection with the art work that affects them.
One of my favorite pictures that I have taken, which will be referred to as "Fallen" has many aspects to it that I face everyday. "Fallen" is of a tree that fell down for whatever reason that I am not aware of. I believe that I am just like the tree. I have had many trials in my life which have tested my strength greatly. I lost both of my parents by the age of 14 and I was at my weakest and very fragile. I was depressed and I just had a hatred for the world. This probably continued for two years until I met my best friend who completely changed my life. She has always been there for me, strong or weak. During this trying time, I truly found God. He showed me where to find the part of myself that I had lost. I have gone to the same little church with less than 100 people for three years and they are everything to me. My faith taught me not to give up so easily and that things could always be worse. There is always hope. A support system is much like the roots that keep the tree standing strong. Being able to lean on your friends and family whenever you need it the most and knowing that they will always be there to catch you is possibly one of the most important things in life. Even though this tree is physically incapable of getting back up on its own, it does not end with being down and out. Sometimes I will just have a bad day and no one, including myself, may know why. Just like the tree, it remains a mystery. But tomorrow is a new day with a new beginning.
So many amazing things can branch off of just one thing. There are many branches coming from the trunk, each branch being unique and having its own shape and structure. This just goes to show that one human can have many unique things that we excel at, we are not limited to just one. This can also apply to personality. I am shy around certain people but the most outgoing person around others. As I have continued to grow, I have come to find that I am like the branch. They each have their own individual direction that is already predetermined for them and they have no control over. I like to think that I am pursuing my gift that was placed in my life as a photographer and that I am using my gift to my full potential.
Although, the tree has fallen and is no longer living, it still has many purposes. The tree could be used as firewood, to make paper or pencils, furniture, a shelter for living organisms, weapons, sculptures, and many other things. The tree may not be standing so I can see it but I know it will be used for better things. Once my time is finished here on earth and you can't see me, I can only hope that I will still be remembered for my lifetime accomplishments and the lives that I touched. Better things will await my arrival in heaven when I am with my parents once again.
To sum up briefly, just one piece of art work can be taken in a multitude of different ways depending on what you have been through and how much you can relate to what you see. I really took the time to break down the different parts of the tree and saw the true beauty within it. As a tree grows older, the trunk becomes stronger and the same happened to me. I have gained the knowledge to learn from my mistakes and grow wiser.
