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anida
Dec27-06, 08:11 PM
Hello everybody..
I just came across a question:

Does literature tell the truth better than any visual arts like drawings or making sculpture or musicals such as choreography or singing?

Can you all help me find out the answer?I think I want to narrow down this question to only the differences in the methods, the things they conveyed to audience and may be how we, the auudience be sure about the truth those arts expressed to us...Please...please...and please...thank you...:wink:

arildno
Dec28-06, 11:56 AM
Well, if you are a Hegelian, you'd say that because the medium of literature is human speech, it has greater potential of representing humans AS (rational&thinking) humans, rather than say, of representing humans AS models of beauty (as in sculpture).

The answer to your question depends on what sort of "truths" you regard art should be able to convey, if any (that also being a view on art).

turbo-1
Dec28-06, 12:11 PM
Literature and speech can be quite effective at conveying truth, but they have the downside potential that they can be used to convey slanted information, half-truths, and outright lies.

nannoh
Dec28-06, 12:11 PM
When you assemble an IKEA table do you read the instructions or follow the diagram?

arildno
Dec28-06, 01:01 PM
Literature and speech can be quite effective at conveying truth, but they have the downside potential that they can be used to convey slanted information, half-truths, and outright lies.

And isn't it a truth that men can lie?:rofl:

anida
Dec28-06, 11:26 PM
Literature and speech can be quite effective at conveying truth, but they have the downside potential that they can be used to convey slanted information, half-truths, and outright lies.

May it is right to say that literature and speech can be quite effective at conveying truth, but sometimes the bewitchment of language created by the use of language(words) will make the literature no longer provide an absolute truth to us....what do u think?:confused:

And how about visual arts and music?Obviously, they do not use language to 'speak' to the audience right?and may be this is the advantage visual arts and music have over the literature right?coz they are free from the bewitchmentof language not like the literature..is this true?

I mean the bewitchment of language is like a barrier for the audience to understand what is meant by the author...sometimes the words used by them...may create confusion...do u get me?

and can u all guys help me to think about the other differences between the literature and other arts?in term of methods to convey the truth each of them use and any other....

Help me please...:frown: :redface:

arildno
Dec29-06, 02:14 AM
Well, you should look at how the various arts affect YOU.
Now, I think that music very often is a lot better at conveying emotions than any book or speech.

Perhaps that is only my view, but I don't think so. What about you?

HallsofIvy
Dec29-06, 04:08 PM
Why would you think any of those, literature, visual or musical arts, should be about "telling the truth"?

One of the best statements about art, and, in particular, literature, was by Ursula K. LeGuinn in a preface to her science fiction novel "The Left Hand of Darkness":

"It is an artist's job to say that which cannot be said in words. A novelist is an artist whose medium is words. That is, it is a novelist's job to say, in words, that which cannot be said in words! In order to do this, we use a technique called 'the lie'."