What is art? Despite the fact that the Stanford Encyclopedia
of Philosophy (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/art-definition/)
says the definition of art is controversial, and that it has even been debated
if art can be defined, few of us have
any doubt that art exists—with or without a definition. We even know that it
has existed almost as long as mankind has existed, and that it involves
creativity.
What is the purpose of art? Again, there are differences of
opinion. Some say that art needs no purpose, that beauty itself is sufficient.
Others say that artists create the art as an act of expression. They are
telling the world something through their art.
Palestinian artists, more than any other group, feel
compelled to include their story in their art. Even Palestinians who were born
in the diaspora and Palestinian-in-laws find ways to express their feelings
through their work. Or perhaps I have it the wrong way around—perhaps it is the
Palestinian condition that generates the immense emotional pressures that, for
some, can only be relieved through art.
The connection between intense emotion and art has been used
for decades by those treating pediatric victims of trauma. The results are
poignant and heart breaking. (Click this link or view below)
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Whether it is a Palestinian artist who lived through the
Nakba and was forever scarred by the experience, like Ismail Shammout (http://ismail-shammout.com), often called
the father of Palestinian painters, or a young vibrant artist like John Halaka
(http://www.johnhalaka.com/artwork.html)
whose work often moves into new territory, they have one thing in common:
empathy for the oppressed. They also have to fight for the right to show their
work. John Halaka has said that “American curators are cowards when it comes to
political art.” http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/sarah-irving/american-curators-are-cowards-when-it-comes-political-art-says-palestinian-artist
Art does not always express itself in paint. There are also
amazing literary artists, like Lisa Majaj, whose wonderful poetry in her book, Geographies of Light, evoke more than a
sense of loss, the call upon an entire culture which she uses as a foundation
for her own identity. To hear her poem, “Guidelines” read and later discussed
by another Palestinian American poet of note, Naomi Shihab Nye, go to http://www.loc.gov/poetry/poetry-of-america/american-identity/naomishihabnye-lisasuhairmajaj.html
Her book is available through Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/1934832081
Novelist abound in the world of Palestinian art. Sahar
Khalifeh, Susan Abulhawa, Raja Shehadeh, are just a few of the names I can pull
from my limited personal experience. There are many more.
Even my own novel has earned some modest recognition.
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