The+arts+-+Methods+of+gaining+knowledge

IB TOK > The Arts =The arts: Methods of gaining knowledge=

• What is the proper function of the arts: to capture a perception of reality, to teach or uplift the mind, to express emotion, to create beauty, to bind a community together or to praise a spiritual power? Are there functions omitted here? Do the various arts have the same functions?

• To what extent and in what ways might the arts be regarded as a representation of reality? What kinds of art might be seen as “realistic”?

• Is originality essential in the arts? Is the relationship between the individual artist and tradition similar in all the arts, in all cultures and across all times?

• Most arts have used technology, over many centuries (for example, musical instruments, pencils). Has the relationship between the arts and technology changed as a result of the possibilities of mechanical reproduction and digital manipulation?