Writing an essay on how art shapes cultural narratives is a fun task. Art in any form has always been related to society. Since the dawn of time, a painting, a sculpture, a filmic narrative, a musical piece, all relate a story – about who we are, our faiths, our ethos. If you are thinking of writing an essay on this topic, here is how you can write it effectively. For students needing additional support, UKWritings is an online assignment writing service that helps with essay writing. UKWritings provides professional assistance in developing essays with clear arguments and structure, making it easier for students to excel.
Given the above, it’s important to be clear on this strongly felt relationship between art and culture. Art does not simply mean painting or sculpture, music or poetry, though all of this is art. Art is the expression of an urge, a feeling, an idea or value that comes from a particular time or a group of people who share it. Culture is the stories, mythic images and histories of a group of people, the narratives that personify a society, and it is art that carries those narratives.
In your introduction, begin writing about how art both reflects and informs the values and norms of society. An iconic example is Picasso’s painting Guernica (1937), which depicts the atrocities of the war in Spain and has shaped the way people think about war. Artrooms are no longer solely for entertainment; they are also places for debate and discussion. A painting can change the way we think about real-world problems. Bring this theme to the forefront of your introduction to set the stage for further analysis.
All art is specific to a certain time in history. To write a good essay, you will need to pay attention to the historical context in which the work of art was created – how the events of the century affect the expressions of artists. For example, the artistic explorations of the European Renaissance occurred within a renewed interest in classical learning of ancient Rome and Greece, and modern art movements such as Dadaism were formed in reaction to the war-time chaos of the First World War.
Pick an era or artistic movement in your essay, and show how the social, political or economic circumstances or contexts of that time period influenced the artists’ work. Your essay will be read with more nuance, and you can show your knowledge of how art is a reflection of its time. Using essay services reviews can also help you identify trusted platforms to gain extra support in developing your ideas and ensuring your essay meets the highest standards.
The power of art to influence cultural narratives is not just a theoretical construct: data provides corroboration. A British Council poll found that 78 percent of people felt that cultural institutions – including art galleries and museums – helped to forge national identity.
Meanwhile, a study by Americans for the Arts found that people in high-arts communities showed 15 per cent higher rates of civic participation, such as voting and attending public meetings. The arts do much more than simply charm us: they engage, sustain and transform us.
If you can find or calculate some such statistics, they can help you to give an extra punch to your argument, and to show that art’s impact on culture is not just an idea, but something that it is possible to measure.
It is also a myth to talk about art in general, because different art forms – for example, visual art, music, film – have different effects on people and cultures. In your essay, you can use comparison and contrast to explore how art has different functions.
| Art Form | Impact on Culture |
| Visual Art | Reflects historical events, social changes, and political movements. E.g., Renaissance art. |
| Music | Often shapes emotional and social responses, influences youth culture. E.g., 1960s rock. |
| Film | Combines visual and auditory elements to tell stories, impacting modern views on race, gender, and politics. |
Consider, in the process of writing about cultural narratives (and by this I mean narratives shared and told by a culture) how vital the artist’s own voice is in shaping the work. The artist’s work is often a reflection of his or her personal experience, a struggle, a means to an end, a hope, a prayer. On its own, the individual story is telling, but in combination with larger issues of the day, where society and history intersect, this literature then becomes a means of reflecting how a culture maps itself.
For example, Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits express the artist’s personal suffering and identity but also address broader themes of gender, politics and Mexican identity. In your own essay, choose one or two artists and discuss how their personal experiences are reflected in their work, and – by extension – how they formulate cultural narratives.
Cultural narratives are constantly shifting, never stagnant. Art plays a vital role in this shift by challenging ideas that have held sway for too long and introducing new ways of thinking. In your essay, demonstrate how art has helped reshape attitudes over time. For example, street art has gained recognition from once-sceptical curators and collectors, moving from the margins to the mainstream. Such is the shift in attitudes towards the importance of the voices from the margins and their contributions to the cultural conversation.
Talking about these evolutions can give your essay some motion, as well as demonstrate that art doesn’t just react to culture: it can help to shape it.
Bring everything together in your conclusion by again emphasising the vital role that art plays in forming the cultural stories we live by. You might write: Because art can reflect on our individual histories, offer critical comments on society, and respond to particular historical situations, it remains crucial in defining who we are and how we find ourselves in the world. A good essay gives the reader something to chew on. End with a question or statement that demands reflection.
When it comes to writing about art and its effect on culture, the essay form lends itself to rigorously analytic thought, and yet also allows space for reflection. Taking a clear example, finding the background, and making your case with helpful data will lead to an essay that’s at once informative and talkable.