Both literature and art have historically acted as the two main mediums of human expression. However does the visual aid that art allows for make it more effective as a form of human expression?
Literature seems to be the most direct form of human expression explaining in a literal sense how someone is thinking, feeling or acting. However when critiquing the subject we see that analysis spans not only from the physical words used but also from the sonic qualities of the sentences, the visual layout as well as the way that it is punctuated. Though literature is usually trying to display human expression through creating a story, this stereotype has been convoluted over the years.
When referencing authors such as James Joyce in his works ‘Ulysses’ and ‘The portrait of an Artist as a Young Man’ we can clearly see the ‘typical’ template of literature is not assuaged. Rather than language being used as a medium for storytelling, he almost strips language completely of its function and instead utilises it to embody the stream of consciousness he attempts to mimic.The lexicon here is exercised to demonstrate the realistic nature of human thought. This arguably is the most authentic expression of humanity we have witnessed in literature.
For something to act as a form of human expression, it should be accessible to all. Language, however, discriminates against those who are uneducated in effect undermining its very purpose. Art however transcends the barriers of language and allows anyone to consume it. Some would say an education and exposure to a multitude of art is key to understanding and gaining from it. Diving into the consciousness of a painter and historical context they lived through usually informs and adds to our analysis of a piece. Therefore making it a similarly discriminatory medium to literature. However, I do not believe a predisposition of an artistic background is required in order to emote from viewing it. Despite a viewer not understanding the history of a piece or the intention of the brush work, the emotional effect of art can be felt in any case
The history of art as human expression is deeply intertwined with the evolution of human culture, cognition, and society. From engravings in caves to NFT’s, art has been a means for individuals and communities to communicate ideas, emotions, beliefs, and stories. Through the techniques of Picasso’s cubism or Dali’s surrealism we have witnessed it challenge the conventional ideas of beauty and acceptance, a clear reflection of the exploration and investigation into human identity and philosophy of the time.
Since art dominates as a medium of human expression, though potentially one more open to interpretation; to understand how that impacts its ability to convey human expression we must first define human expression itself. When deriving from the etymology of expression we can see it originates from the latin ‘exprimere’ meaning to “press out”. So when referring to “pressing out” the ‘humanness’ of something can we really conclude that it can be contained within a medium. A language surely cannot encompass the gravitas of the subject especially when there is not a universal one through which we consume the media. Art, through its ability to evoke a reaction personalised to its viewer, seems to echo the fundamental characteristics of human expression most similarly in its unique yet simultaneously universal experience.
