The Relationship Between Art and Evolution

The Relationship Between Art and Evolution

            Conventional wisdom has it that art is a medium of expression. Art is an expression of the human senses, and some scholars have pointed out that art could simply be an illustration of what happens in the human mind. In this way, art has been instrumental in facilitating different interpretations of a global society by various artists. Whether through observation or imagination, these artists have been able to offer their artistic account of society through their eyes. Over the years, global society has changed, and consequently, the art produced has also changed. The change that has been witnessed in society can be credited to evolution. The genetic variation of the human species has enabled the adaptation and development of the human mind and senses, which has led to the progression of the global society. Some scholars have suggested that art is an adaptation that served an evolutionary agenda that enhanced curiosity, creativity, and intelligence among people. Other scholars have argued that art has been a medium through which evolution has been depicted. Even though there are different views about the relationship between evolution and art, it is clear that evolution has had an effect on the way art is produced and interpreted. As such, analyzing the portrayal of art as an evolutionary adaptation and an expression of the evolutionary process will offer insight into how evolution has affected the production and interpretation of art and how art will change in the future.

Art has been portrayed as an evolutionary adaptation that has facilitated the progression of the human species. One of the notions advanced by some scholars is that art was a necessary adaptation that enabled the development of the human mind and the human senses. This premise provides that the artistic adaptation enabled people at the time to nurture intelligence, creativity, and curiosity. In this way, the human mind and human senses were able to evolve further, leading to smarter and sharper individuals over time. This premise is supported by Eric Kandel in his article “The Molecular Biology of Memory Storage.” According to Kandel, “It is clearly an evolutionary advantage for an animal to learn and store in long-term memory only facts important for survival, rather than retaining everything” (Kendal, 583). As Kendal demonstrates, evolutionary adaptations enable animals to learn and store information for survival. As such, the artistic adaptation facilitated the enhancement of intelligence and creativity, which enabled people to learn and store information. Their retention and creativity were depicted through the art that was produced. Even though the people at the time were unaware of the art pieces they were producing, the production of art depicted the evolution of the human mind and senses.

As people continued to learn and store information, even as an adaptation, the art that was produced continued to change as people retain new information. The retention of information facilitated the development of the human mind, and this was clearly illustrated through the art that was produced. Apart from the human mind, artistic adaptation also led to the enhancement of human senses. DeSalle observes that “our senses have arisen as a result of the evolutionary process, and we can learn a lot by placing our neural systems in this evolutionary context” (DeSalle). As DeSalle illustrates, human senses have developed as a result of the evolutionary process. In this way, adaptations such as art have influenced the production and interpretation of art over the years. The portrayal of art as an evolutionary process offers insight into how evolution has influenced how art is produced and interpreted by different societies and communities. As the evolutionary process took root, the art the production of art has continued to change. The production of art as an adaptation also led to the enhancement of social relations.

The portrayal of art as an evolutionary adaptation also illustrates how evolution has affected the interpretation of art. As art was produced, people were able to engage with it, thereby facilitating social interaction and relations. In this way, social interaction and relation also became an evolutionary process that enhanced the survival of the people. According to Linden, “We must experience basic behaviors such as eating, drinking, and mating as pleasurable in order to survive and procreate” (Linden, 24). Linden supports the premise that eating, drinking, and mating enhance pleasure among a species which facilitate the survival of the species. As an evolutionary adaptation, art has facilitated social relations among people. As art was produced, people within the same community were able to engage with the art leading to social interaction and social relations. In this way, art affected the interpretation of art. Art is complex and distinct since different people have different interpretations of the same artistic pieces. Those that we’re able to interpret and form connections with each other through the art were able to relate and derive pleasure from the production and interpretation of art. In so doing, there is a clear correlation between art and evolution since evolution influenced the interpretation of art by facilitating social relations among people. The expression of the evolutionary process through art also offers insight into the possibilities for the art of the future.

The relationship between art and evolution is also illustrated through the depiction of evolution through art. The evolution theory has inspired various artistic pieces over the years. Different artists have illustrated their interpretation of the evolution process through their art pieces. However, even though art has been used to express the evolutionary process, it has also been instrumental in the development of the evolution theory. As different artists over a different period of time have produced art, the progression of the human species has been documented through the art. As mentioned earlier, art illustrates what happens in the human mind. As such, art that has been produced at different times offers an account of how the human mind has progressed over the years. LeDoux and Pine state that “It is clear that language changes the self and consciousness game in the brain” (LeDoux and Pine, 5). As society has progressed, the human mind has continued to develop, and this has been captured by the art that has been produced. In this way, art has been used in the development of the evolution theory since it has captured the progression of the human mind through different generations of people. As society continued to progress, various artists will continue to produce art, which will capture the progression of the human mind. Furthermore, through imagination, artists have also been able to depict how future generations will look and operate. Art facilitates the depiction of imagination, which is open to interpretation. In this way, the art that exists currently also offers insight into some of the possibilities for the art of the future.

The relationship between art and evolution is evident. Art has been portrayed as an evolutionary adaptation and as an expression of the evolution process. As an evolutionary adaptation, evolution has influenced the production and interpretation of art. Art facilitated the enhancement of creativity and intelligence. It captured what was happening in people’s minds over time. As people engaged with art, social relations were also enhanced. Art has also been used to express the evolutionary process. In so doing, it has also contributed to the development of the evolution theory since art has captured the progression of the human mind. Therefore, evolution also offers insight into some of the possibilities for the art of the future.

Works Cited

DeSalle, Rob. Our Senses: An Immersive Experience. Yale UP, 2018.

Kandel, Eric R. “The Molecular Biology of Memory Storage: A Dialog Between Genes and Synapses.” Bioscience Reports, vol. 21, no. 5, Oct. 2001, pp. 565-611.

LeDoux, Joseph E., and Daniel S. Pine. “Using Neuroscience to Help Understand Fear and Anxiety: A Two-System Framework.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 173, no. 11, 2016, pp. 1-11.

Ramachandran, V. M., and E. M. Hubbard. “Synaesthesia—A Window Into Perception, Thought, and Language.” Journal of Consciousness Studies, vol. 8, no. 12, 2001, pp. 3-34.