mAn aNd aRt

The Renaissance era was a great shift in the way people viewed art. Everything people know about art, the reason why they do it, their approach, changed dramatically at the birth of this age. Art was revolutionized. At the onset, the change, as with the other new ideas introduced, was met with either hostility, for the Renaissance was not only a change in art but in science and philosophy as well. Traditional viewpoints, belief systems, were challenged, put into question, and eventually disregarded. The change was significant since it claimed that the focal point of art and science was man, not God. It's number one proponent, Leonardo Da Vinci, the Renaissance man himself proved himself "correct" by making advances in art, philosophy, and science and technology. All in all, he defined not only science, but also most importantly art and philosophy. Since art cannot be separated from philosophy, he didn't only contribute to the advancement of then unacceptable views, but altered the conventional at the same time.

One could have a completely opposite view of this, but since the shift of ideas focused on man, whether a particular stance is right or wrong, only the individual can judge. Therefore, he is the center of his own views. And in this scenario, man himself is the definition of art. Art is man. His values, his hurts, his pains, joys, experiences, and thoughts are of utmost importance. Unlike traditional values wherein God or the divine is the one who defines art (and philosophy), man now is at the very core of art. He is one with art. Without him, art will not exist. The Vitruvian man, though a sketch made by Da Vinci for his scientific studies, is a perfect embodiment of how art could be defined. Man is at the center of the universe, of the affairs of this world. Moreover, art is not an extension of man. But instead, art could be his very heart, his mind, his soul. It could even be his hands, because he could do great things with it; his feet for he could travel, even transcend beyond great boundaries. Art could also be his voice, for he could speak a great deal of words, sharing his ideas. It could be his most private parts, bringing sensation, ecstacy. Art is he. Whoever he is in life is, what he is, is art.