“Our art is a reflection of our reality.” N.W.A. rapper Ice Cube gave this answer to journalists when N.W.A. was asked about accusations of the group promoting gangs and violence. It might be one of the best quote from the movie. There is a lot of truth behind those eight words. Yes, N.W.A. was in a lot of heat with the world, especially law enforcement, with their controversial lyrics, but all because all of those member have lived lives in which they were fairly mistreated by police and where violence and drugs was common. It's like a big sociology experiment involving nature and nurture. They live in a rough nature that influenced many to go be raised in a disorderly fashion. If you grow up in a vicious reality, most of that will be carried on and reflected in what you do. In the case of Ice Cube, Easy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ, Yellah and MC Ren, they meditated upon their realities with music, as many other music artists of our generation do. Have all artists sing songs about their upbringings? Some may choose not to, but it's a good way to express themselves through the art of music.
When we think of art, the majority of us humans think of paintings and sculptures. Paintings and sculptures can reflect people too! For example, many of Vincet Van Gogh's works have some type of religious theme due to the fact that Van Gogh was heavily religious because he was raised that way! Now, art isn't just about the cubed works of Pablo Picasso or Leonard Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
According to Merriam-Webster, art isn't just about that. It also means a skill by experience, study, or observation. It can also express feelings or ideas of someone. You could possibly tie in books and films into this category. When it comes to books, there are many of examples of authors reflecting their own personal life into their works. Ian Fleming was known for his James Bond books. Ian Fleming was a real WWII spy for the British naval intelligence. He would plan and execute very dangerous missions just how James Bond does. Many of Ian's likes and mannerisms were put in the Bond character. James Bond has became a popular and profitable character in the world of literature and cinema, but it has a magical element to it because it was written by a guy who actually was the James Bond character. Another acclaimed author who did the same things was Stephen King. King is arguably one of the best horror novelist of all time. He had a very tough childhood. With issues with his dad leaving him and his family and witnessing one his friends getting killed by a train, these shocks in life helped him develop a better feel for making horror novels. The realities of Fleming and King were made into fictional works enjoyed by a vast majority of entertainment seekers. Even if their weren't luxurious nor easy, they made it work by making it a source of amusement.
Movie directors have used reflections of their life and have poured them into their movies. Some examples include Stephen Spielberg using themes such as divorced parents and anger toward because he had to deal through divorced parents and his feeling toward the situation when he was growing up. One of Spielberg's most famous movie is Schindler's List. He said that the Anti-Semitic themes made him feel sick because he had to deal with the same type of problems that involved anti-Semitism. Alfred Hitchcock is a master of horror films. He had a very lonely childhood and was tormented by his father. His father once took him to a police station had them lock up young Alfred for misbehaving. His fear of police and frequent horrors his father bestowed upon him were later used as themes for his many famous movies of horror and suspense.
But what about other things that might not involve paint or a camera? What about the feelings and ideas people learn from their life experiences and expressing them in their own kind of way? Terrorists express their ideas by carrying acts of violence and intimidation. Many grow up learning to defend their country, or maybe their religion gives them ideas that may lead them to how they carry out their attacks. Maybe it's not the extremist type of terrorist, but maybe kids who start school shootings or serial killers going on murderous rampages. Were these people misunderstood? Many of these murderers are known to have troublesome childhoods and were raised in an unfortunate way. Even though there were some who may have had mental disorders, it doesn't help that their upbringings were not very prim and proper. It all cycles back to the sociology topic of nature vs. nurture. One example that trumps this is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King's reality was filled with mistreatment and violence, even when he was a kid. However, he used his reality as a tool for peaceful protest. He didn't engage in violence but rather took a peaceful approach to expressing himself. There also may be arts of doing good. Mother Teresa may have been the best artist when it came to doing good. There are many different types of art in this world and we must choose wisely how we may convey it in different ways.
Art is influenced by our nature and nurture. Good or bad, if you live in the rough, you are going to have a rough time growing out of the rough. It's possible to change your life around,but it takes the commitment, which may have never been present in a home of an alcoholic father or in ghetto in California. That is why it is hard for the younger generation in the ghetto to get out, or any kid with a set of parents or any guardian holding them back. Ice Cube's quote is completely accurate. However someone may present themselves, even if they decide to express it in ways that may be considered art. Pretty or hideous, art is reflected upon a person's reality.
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