“Art can illuminate our experience or reveal truths.” Two arguments for this view.

Art can illuminate our experiences and perceptions of society and the world. Art can provide another perspective to the workings of society that perhaps society shies away from. Or, perhaps art puts forward a view of people, insignificant objects or situations that in day to day life, we take advantage of: a mother, shoes, clothes or faith. Van Gogh’s Chair is a reminder to society that even with the advances society is making such as technology and money, the simplistic items in life must not be taken for granted. Picasso’s Guernica portrays a different perspective on the truth. It shows the massacre of the innocent lives killed due to a war of dominance. Spain was unable to resist the forces of Nazi Germany. She was too powerful. Picasso tries to transform our perceptions in Guernica. A common man would instantly say that Guernica represents society’s anger towards the Nazi’s; however, Guernica portrays the destructive impact on war: families were killed for a futile war over dominance? Consequently, Picasso has transformed the perceptions towards his art.

Truth within art can also ‘shine a light’ into the operations of society and the work. Dead Poets Society starring Robin Williams as John Keating encourages his pupils to against the status quo. Keating argues: "But only in their dreams can men be truly free.’Twas always thus, and always thus will be." The art is portraying how the ways of society, the syllabuses taught to children and how life has become insignificant due to people leading their lives based on rules and regulations. This film may not be specifically about the betterment of a person’s behaviour, yet, it tries to push forward a message: “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” Being different within society makes a difference to society. Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Theresa, are people whom did not live by the rules and unjust regulations of society in the past. Their words and ideas changed the world to the society that we have.