Art is a tool for communicating in the social world
19.08.2013
According to the doctoral dissertation of Mika Karhu, M.A. (Art and Design), one of the essential roles of art is to act as a way of expressing social experiences. The dissertation discusses how the social world affects the work of artists. At the same time, it explores the origins of art and how arts have changed during the past centuries resulting in the work of modern artists.
The dissertation is based on pragmatic philosophy. It especially applies edifying philosophy developed by philosopher Richard Rorty. The goal of edifying philosophy is to engage in open discussion without the foundation of absolute truths.
‘I aim to create open and sufficient tools to coherently describe the connections within art, not a theoretically sound approach’, the author states.
According to the doctoral candidate, different types of artistic techniques and areas are needed to convey experiences.
‘The content of art is in its ability to convey social experiences, develop our thinking, share experiences, engage in discussion and, through these, expand our understanding of the world.’
The doctoral candidate feels that the history of art is also societal history. According to the author, in order to express multidimensional experiences in art, the artist must comprehend social experiences and their multidimensional and inconsistent structures that affect his or her existence.
Through the pieces on exhibit in his three art exhibitions, Karhu addresses areas such as Christianity, insecurity and fear experienced in societies, social inequity and the effect of shame on the emotions and behaviour of those who are socially rejected.
According to Karhu, the work of an artist can be seen as that of an educator, who aims to express the dimension of social experiences.
‘Man is fundamentally a social being. We comprehend the world as social beings. Our consciousness is formed in relation to the prevailing social practises and conditions. Art is a tool for engaging in communication in a social world where the significance of experiences is always somewhat abstract.’
Public examination of the doctoral dissertation
Mika Karhu, M.A. (Art and Design), is a visual artist, curator and art teacher. He has curated several exhibitions in Finland and abroad and has worked as a teacher at Aalto University, Lahti University of Applied Sciences and the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. For his work as a visual artist, he was granted the William Thuring award in 2008. His doctoral studies included three private exhibitions held between 2002 and 2004, which included pieces created using different techniques.
The dissertation ‘Taide sosiaalisen kokemuksen ilmaisuna. Taiteellis-teoreettinen tutkielma taiteen tekemisen lähtökohtiin’ will be reviewed at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on 23 August 2013 at 12 noon (Sampo Hall at Media Centre Lume, Hämeentie 135 C). The opponent is Professor Jan Kalla from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. Orders for the dissertation can be placed with the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture’s online bookshop:books.aalto.fi, inquiries:artsbooks [at] aalto [dot] fi, tel.+358 (0)50 313 7086.
For further information please contact:
Mika Karhu, M.A. (Art and Design)
mika.karhu [at] aalto [dot] fi