The Sword in the Stone: The Arts as Harbingers of Social Change
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v4i4.689Keywords:
Social change, art, Arthurian legend, change waves, Zeitgeist.Abstract
Artists have been often been criticized by their scientific brethren for a lack of perceived current utility in their work. One potentially useful response to the issue of present value is through the use of historical analysis of art as a means for anticipating major social transformations. The thesis of this article is that Art, besides being representative of the Zeitgeist or spirit of its time, may well be an effective progenitor of coming significant social upheavals. The paper employs as a methodology comparison of historical waves of social change with pre-period artistic expression. Additionally, the legend of King Arthur’s removal of the magic sword Excalibur from a stone is employed as an artistic and social metaphor for Art as providing an unconventional view of the future. Example findings include art as a portent of impending social change, current movement into a new transitional period of change, and the non-linearity of both artistic and social changes.
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