What inpact , for good or ill do you think things like absinthe, lsd, herion and others have had on our arts culture?
2006-09-03 09:12:28 · 7 answers · asked by hungryhillkid 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
What impact , for good or ill do you think things like absinthe, lsd, herion and others have had on our arts culture?
2006-09-03 09:15:37 · update #1
The thing about drugs - artwise - is that they stimulate the imagination but dull the reason.
Imagination and reason are two closely related things - they both involve the recombination of concepts. Reason recombines concepts according to strict rules, imagination recombines them much more freely (though not completely lawlessly). It's like the recombination of DNA to produce new individual organisms. Drugs can interfere with that too.
Imagination and reason are both important to art. Is one more important than the other? I think most of those who answered 'yes' would say imagination is more important to art than reason. If this is true, then the influence of drugs on art is a trade-off. Drugs are good for art in one way but bad in another. But they are neither completely good for it nor completely bad for it.
So, your attitude to drugs in art should depend on whether you think imagination is more important to art than reason - but no matter which side you come down on, there is no reason to say either that all artists should use drugs or that none should.
2006-09-03 12:40:12 · answer #1 · answered by brucebirdfield 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sure it has impacted the art community a great deal. However, the majority of artists who have been able to maintain consistency in their work are not addicts. It is the fleeting glimpse into an artist which is affected by drugs that may have an impact. But, the ones who are healthy are the ones who are remembered. Now, mental illness and art-that would be an interesting topic as well.!
2006-09-03 09:16:40 · answer #2 · answered by sweetpea 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In ancient days a shaman fulfilled the same needs of society that artists do today. They would go off on their own and get high on herbs or whatever and commune with the subconcious and come back with a message to their tribe.
I've read that drugs increase creativity because they block neurotransmitters and the brain reacts by firing other random pathways so that a person can kind of see a synchronicity of two seperate ideas. I'm not a nuerologist so I'm not sure if that's correct or how correct it is but it kind of seems accurate from my experience.
Just my humble opinion.
2006-09-03 14:32:00 · answer #3 · answered by hispas333 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the art arena seems to romanticize addiction, particularly heroin, has never had much to say about LSD, and either glamourizes drunkeness ("Arthur"), or presents drunkeness in a dehumanizing way ("Lost Weekend"). Art itself however, is not to blame for drug use. Art merely interprets reality. Therefore it is us that polarizes drugs into categories of good, or bad. BTW, if an anthropologist from another planet were to investigate America, they would conclude America is a nation of addicts. In America, we can get whatever we want, anytime.
2006-09-03 09:26:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Alot of creative affects especially in abstract style. Some persons can not slow their minds down enough to allow the creativity to flow. With the use of certain "chemicals" the mind is cleared and a garden for creation is cultured. However, as noted earlier when the "chemicals" breach the emotional or physical boundary the artist is disfuntional.
2006-09-03 09:22:06 · answer #5 · answered by Mr. Bernstein 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think drugs have been an impact on art and theatre for over 100 years. Just watch Moulin Rogue. lol. I think many a song has been written while under the influence of something.
2006-09-03 09:18:04 · answer #6 · answered by Ricky 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same they have had on cutures everywhere for centuries
Chinese opium dens were among many
2006-09-03 09:28:06 · answer #7 · answered by .................................... 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋