LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Art is the exploration of our inner thoughts, feelings and experiences. It is highly subjective, personal and has long been a medium that individuals can use for self-reflection or influence. Furthermore, it can be explored in many different forms which can help us understand who we are as humans; it also influences the way we relate to each other and has been a way to pass down knowledge from one generation to another.

Art has been present in schools for many decades and continues to be incredibly important. However, in the past, Art was not always as valued in education as much as it should have been. This may have resulted from class structure, as Art was exclusively available to the upper class.

Today, Art is an integral part of classrooms in a variety of forms and it can help children learn valuable skills like critical thinking, empathy, and creativity.

Art has the power of empowering people’s hearts, which is why this is a perfect theme for this year’s first edition of the Oasis Magazine.

Rameen Ali Editor ‘Oasis Magazine’

By Elyes Mrabet, Grade 8 Hafeet

Art existed long before recorded memory and belonged to Neanderthals, whose conditions and life were so vastly different from ours that their arts’ origins and purpose are utterly alien to us. Why did they make those initial cave paintings? What prompted them to forsake activities that ensured their survival, like hunting and gathering, to dedicate time and effort to locating dyes, brushes and an appropriate rock wall in order to produce something that, from a practical viewpoint, would have seemed trivial?

Art has various well-documented benefits such as reduction of stress, emotional catharsis, and focusing the mind. However, it is unlikely that these were the root cause of art, since the paleolithic sciences would have been unaware of them, but they may have caused Art to continue as a prominent pastime.

Art as a concept could be innate to humanity. Humans and other hominids are the only creatures on earth that have expressed true artistic desires. Though there are instances of nimble elephants or dogs painting rudimentary pictures, the animals were trained to do so, not following the creative ‘spirit’ of art. Some hunting strategies employed by chimpanzees could be considered ‘artistic,’ but it is simply utilitarianism. So is Art is a key difference between humans and animals, along with our intelligence? What if the two had a correlation? The two aspects of human ability are linked, those with a high IQ tend to be more creative. Creativity is even proposed to consume half of the human brain.

Artistry is part of every aspect of human behavior: designs, pictures, and even the most basic of patterns could be considered forms of art. A lack of Art in our society is only found in total chaos and disorder. Even then, intentional chaos and chaos made to make a statement are forms of art. But why? Why is art so prevalent? There is no discernible evolutionary reason for it. There are no non-human precedents and examples of Art that we can compare to, but Art has been an omnipresent, evolving part of human history. Perhaps Art is one of humanity’s essential qualities, like society, and we have an irrepressible urge to bring order from chaos, or to bring chaos to order in our attempts to bring beauty to the world.

Perhaps art is such a fundamental part of us that it needs no explanation other than the fact it is Art.