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9 pages/≈2475 words
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10
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APA
Subject:
Visual & Performing Arts
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Essay
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:
Senses in Artistic
Essay Instructions:
The topic can be about the senses involved in the experience and production of art. Such as interactive performances, performance art, and Installation art. The choice of topic is flexible, just based on the information in the intro. 9 pages about 2500 words will be fine.
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Topic Follow-Up: The Aesthetics of Intoxication (drugs, alcohol bring pleasure)
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Topic Follow-Up: The Aesthetics of Intoxication (drugs, alcohol bring pleasure)
Introduction
In the article “I drink, therefore I am: alcohol and creativity” Beveridge & Yorston (1999) write that the medical view of taking alcohol has always been negative with several research attributing alcoholism to self-destructive activities that bring about immense social and physical havoc. Contrary to medical arguments that the researchers put across, “alcohol is prized for its ability to reveal new creative insights, and heroic drinking has long been part of the artistic persona”. The argument that alcohol drives creativity and reveals creative insights takes us to the fascinating interaction of intoxicants, art, and sensory experiences in art. Understanding contemporary art demands a focus on the diverse ways through which artists engage in their senses of taste, smell, and touch. One aspect that remains underexamined by researchers is the role of intoxicants such as alcohol in shaping the sensory experiences of artists and art as a whole. Benedek et al., (2017) in their research which examined the effects of alcohol intoxication on creative cognition concluded that moderate attenuation of one’s cognitive control benefits creative problem-solving but does not in any way benefit divergent thinking. As a result, intoxication whether through alcohol or other drugs, is significantly intertwined with artistic expression. Over the years, artists used intoxicants to alter perceptions and subsequently enhance creativity opening up new realms of consciousness, often unexplored or underexplored when sober. Simply put, intoxicants are a catalyst for evoking sensory experiences that transcend the visual experiences and tap into the aspects of smell, taste, touch, and hearing.[Benedek, Mathias, Lisa Panzierer, Emanuel Jauk, and Aljoscha C. Neubauer. "Creativity on tap? Effects of alcohol intoxication on creative cognition." Consciousness and Cognition 56 (2017): 128-129.] [Ibid., 134.] [Ibid., 135.]
Historical and Cultural Perspectives
Ancient Societies
Intoxication through its various forms has significantly played a role in artistic expression for many years, rising beyond cultural movements and influencing artistic movements across different periods. From ancient periods to the contemporary art world, artists have often engaged intoxicants as a means to alter their perception and improve artistic expressions. As reported by Sessa (2008) ancient societies such as Greece, Mesopotamia, and Egypt used intoxicants such as opium, alcohol, and hallucinogens to alter their state of mind and subsequently communicate with their divine. In those years, as noted in the texts, the use of intoxications in art intertwined with other major concepts including spirituality and the pursuit of higher learning. Classical art and literature artists also leveraged intoxicants as a source of inspiration and liberation. The renaissance and medieval Europe utilized intoxicants with many arts during the time depicting scenes of drunken revelry and illuminated manuscripts. Some pieces of literature and poetry romanticized intoxication as a symbol of creativity and freedom with writers such as François Rabelais celebrating the pleasures brought about by alcohol in their work.[Crocq, M. A. (2007). Historical and cultural aspects of man's relationship with addictive drugs. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 9(4), 355-361.] [Smith, I. (2015). Psychostimulants and artistic, musical, and literary creativity. International Review of Neurobiology, 120, 301.] [Lacey, A. "Literature and the Arts: Rabelais and the voyages of Jacques Cartier." Canadian Modern Language Review 1, no. 3 (1945): 5-10.]
Modern and Contemporary Art
In the modern and contemporary art, intoxicants became more popular, especially during the Surrealism and Dadaism movements. One relatable artist during these periods is Salvador Dali and Jackson Pollock who experimented with intoxicants such as alcohol with the sole purpose of tapping into their subconscious minds experimenting with drugs and alcohol as a means of tapping into the subconscious mind and exploring the boundaries of artistic expression. Salvador Dalí developed a profound fascination with the capabilities of psychoactive substances in tapping into the deeper layers of his imagination. To find out the potential of psychoactive substances, he experimented with mescaline and peyote, with the sole trust that these drugs would unlock new artistic inspiration. The deliberate alteration of his thoughts and perceptions, saw the surrealist artist tap into his subconscious and portray his surreal visions with unique artistic intensity. Today, Salvador’s painting exists in museums characterized by unique imagery, bearing his unmistakable influence of intoxicants.[Fuller, Stephen Martin. The persistence of a memory: Eudora Welty, Salvador Dalí, and the making of an American surrealist. The University of Southern Mississippi, 2004.] [World Art News, (2023). Art & Drugs: An Enigmatic Journey through Tragic Tales of Famous Artists.] [Benedek, Mathias, Lisa Panzierer, Emanuel Jauk, and Aljoscha C. Neubauer. "Creativity on tap? Effects of alcohol intoxication on creative cognition." Consciousness and Cognition 56 (2017): 130-132.]
More so, the countermovement’s between 1960 and 1970 further adopted intoxication to rebel against authority and societal norms that were set during this time. One major event that arose during this period was psychedelic art and music as influenced by hallucinogens such as psilocybin and LCD. As written by More (2023) psychedelic art and music arose as a movement in the 1960s with many artists and points adopting it as a way to challenge traditional art approaches which were now considered boring. Trippy art was among the results of this period with artists using psychedelics to defy traditional approaches. Artists would ingest drugs and capture visuals into canvas while intoxicated. Primarily, the drugs made artists high and away from reality thus recreating art that according to critics lacked aesthetic value. Post this era, artists still explore ways to leverage intoxicants and sensory stimuli to create unique and provocative artwork.[More, A. (2023). Psychedelic Art (A Guide To 1960’s Most Popular Trippy Art). Retrieved from https://www.portraitflip.com/blog/psychedelic-art/] [Ibid,]
Artistic Techniques and Sensory Engagement Through Intoxication
Sensory Engagement
As written by Pinchbeck (2010) psychedelic journey can,
“…. change the tripper’s perception of time and can lead to a profound sense of deconditioning —the realization that our social world and built environment are artificial constructs, transitional templates, that everything we take as certain could be entirely and imminently otherwise.”[Pinchbeck, D. (2010). Embracing the Archaic: Postmodern Culture and Psychedelic Initiation. Psychedelic: Optical and Visionary Art since the 1960s, edited by David S. Rubin, 52.]
Arguably, psychedelic experiences as argued by Pinchbeck (2010) offer a rather unique lens through which artists can tap into multiple senses and in return evoke sensory responses.
Ideally, psychedelics state refers to the profound altered state of ones conscious as stated by Arnold M. Ludwig...
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