Humanities - Art & Visual Media

Violence in film has negative impacts on society and individuals, particularly children, necessitating additional vigilance in self-censorship by filmmakers and stricter regulation by the MPAA to ensure safe and appropriate content for youth audiences, as well as to ensure that film remains protected as free speech. The impact on youth as well as the cultural influence of film are critical factors to consider regarding film content. Depictions of violence and aggressive behavior in film teaches aggressive behaviors to children, especially when perpetrated within a humorous context, by attractive characters, and when there are no negative consequences for violent or aggressive acts (Timmer). Pervasive violence exists at all ratings levels of film and is most prevalent in content intended for children. A system of “ratings creep” and a push for profitability perpetuate violence in children’s media (Afra). Ensuring that film content is appropriate and nonviolent when directed toward youth audiences is beneficial for children, society, and the film industry.

While comics have long struggled for legitimacy within the cultural arena, graphic memoir stands out as a relatively recent and unique addition that proves the importance of the medium and offers tremendous potential for individuals and society. As two of the earliest and most well-regarded graphic memoirs, Maus by Art Spiegelman and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi provide powerful examples of what the comic medium is capable of, and, indeed, paved the way for an entirely new genre. Beyond the artistic and literary feats these graphic memoirs represent, these authors and those following in their footsteps demonstrate that this is also a profound vehicle for awakening voice and facilitating healing.

Involvement in the arts and humanities improves empathy, which, in turn, enhances the lives of individuals and the culture of society. Empathy is both an inherent quality and critical skill for humans. It is “feeling oneself into the experience of another person… in order to understand it,” which is both a cognitive and emotional response to others (Smith 182; Shamay-Tsoory & Lamm). This ability is recognized in infants as young as eighteen hours old and continues to develop throughout childhood (Cartabuke et al.). While empathy may seem like an indefinite quality or soft skill, it is both measurable and practical, with benefits for the individual and communities. Research shows that a strong sense of empathy promotes prosocial behavior, altruism, social competence, and a higher quality of relationships (Cartabuke et al. 607). Empathy is also valuable in business, especially in confronting ethical dilemmas and can even contribute to better financial performance (605). However, empathy amongst people is in steep decline, which is concerning for the future of humanity.

The contributions of women are largely ignored in the history of art. Though the works of artists such as Artemesia Gentileschi, Berthe Morisot, and Mary Cassatt are known by sight, their names are rarely mentioned in discussing the great works and great artists of Western civilization, whether in art history textbooks, scholarly articles, or other sources. The stories of these women artists are even more invisible, despite immense talent, significant complexity and meaning in their art, and, often, struggles to reach these achievements. Women were excluded from the traditional academies, denied opportunities to work with the same subject matter as men, and even forced to have chaperones when they appeared in public, whereas men could move freely about alone (Cascone). As Hélène Bertaux, founder of Paris’s Union des Femmes Peintres et Sculpteurs, proclaimed in 1881, “The woman artist is an ignored, little-understood force, delayed in its rise! A social prejudice of sorts weighs upon her; and yet, every year, the number of women who dedicate themselves to art is swelling with fearsome speed” (para. 5). One of these women was Paula Modersohn-Becker, a prolific artist who bridged Post-Impressionism and German Expressionism, broke boundaries in her depictions of women, nudes, and self-portraiture, and lived a life she could call her own. As she expressed, “I believe the best thing is for one to go one’s own way as if in a dream” (“Paula Modershon-Becker”).

In Francis Bacon’s The Great Instauration, he presents his theories on the “Idols of the Mind,” describing those influences by which humankind is led astray from valid scientific inquiry and, ultimately, the advancement of knowledge, due to the defects of their reason. What is otherwise a unique and powerful ability also leads people to create distorted perceptions and understandings, false assumptions and narratives, logical fallacies, and superstitions. If truth in understanding is possible, technology may reflect the tool of reason itself, with so much potential to provide insight and depth of understanding, yet also easily distorts information in service of the human tendencies Bacon describes. In the modern digital information environment, the idols are exacerbated rather than relieved, which is especially apparent in the debate on climate change.