"Art... is an attempt to bring order out of chaos." – Stephen Sondheim
The process of artistic creation and its players are inextricably linked in many ways to law and order. Art consists of a constellation of creators, distributors, critics, sponsors, audiences and even forgers and looters. In Singapore, art is also connected to aspects of law that pertain to licensing and state funding.
"The rule of law is better than the rule of any individual." – Aristotle
Law also manifests itself through the wider community, and serves as the foremost social mediator of relationships amongst people. Yet the nature of law is such that in its attempt to be 'fair', it will inevitably marginalise and sometimes discriminate against a minority group. How does art then pose questions, offer alternatives, and widen our definitions and interpretations?
On the personal realm, the social mores of the era, culture, religion and geography all play a part in determining the laws that govern human relationships. An individual may not be a criminal, but he may become a social outcast if he does not adhere to the social laws and customs of his ethnic and religious communities or country.
Can we then negotiate with existing institutions or even create our own laws and communities?
"There is no better way to exercise the imagination than the study of the law. No artist ever interpreted nature as freely as a lawyer interprets the truth." – Jean Giradoux
When breaking down established laws in the name of creativity, how far do we go? Is there a limit to artistic freedom and the freedom of expression? When censorship happens, we often blame the censors and side the artist. How often do we ask if the artist is employing less sophisticated artistic strategies? When does freedom of expression end and the respect for the difference begin?
Within art itself, there are also rules of creation - they could come in the form of musical structures, visual composition, theatrical conventions, and so on. Yet artistic noms and traditions are often questioned and challenged, and when boundaries become mutable, artists can become forerunners of change and progress.
How does art serve as a means for us to constantly reassess these constructs and shift these boundaries - or even question whether they should be altered at all?
Join us to grapple with the explosive combination of Art and the Law through a variety of works to be presented at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival, 13 - 24 January 2010.
Get involved.
(Source: The Necessary Stage Programme)