• Unit 8: Other Worlds – Mortality, the Spirit, and Fantasy

    Humans use art to capture ideas about worlds outside our own. Art is often a vehicle for myth, which use narrative to convey truths about human nature. Art also expresses hard to articulate aspects of spirit worlds which are products of religious practices. Cultures use iconography to symbolize abstract ideas like dreams, love, power, and emotion, and societies call on the artist to create them. Art also plays a significant role in ritual and ceremony. In this unit, we will learn how human thought, belief, and imagination are materialized through art.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • explain art in terms of ideas of the spirit; and
      • explain art as a form of myth.

    • 8.1: Myths

      • Myths Page

        This article discusses art that represent mythic figures and mythological stories.

      • Meaning in Art Page

        Read this chapter, and focus on sections 5.4.2.to 5.4.3 to understand more about the role of myths in art. Think about why the myths of antiquity might have been so appealing to artists in much later periods.

    • 8.2: Dreams

      • Dreams Page

        The influence of dreams in art is significant. Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is an example from Elizabethan literature. Dreams provide creative subject matter for visual artists, too, and play an additional role in art through ceremony and ritual.

    • 8.3: Spirituality

      • Spirituality Page

        The art historical record is filled with works from many cultures that refer directly to spirituality.

      • Art and Ritual Life File

        Read this chapter. How do you see practices of ritual and ceremony being different from what is usually called "religion" in discussions on art?

      • Discussion Topic 12: Art and the Spirit URL

        Reflect on this discussion prompt. If you wish, post your thoughts on the discussion forum. Leave a reply to your classmates' posts as well!

        Using this list of online galleries, find a work of art from a culture other than your own that represents a form of spirituality. Explain why you chose the work you did, and how it represents the spirit. You will need to understand the context in which the artwork was made and how it is used within the culture.

    • Unit 8 Wrap-Up

      • Unit 8 Assessment Quiz
        Receive a grade

        Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.

        • This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
        • You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
        • You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.