The chief guest of the celebration was Professor Praneeth Abyesundara of the Department of Anthropology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He was joined by Prof Kamal Ranatunga and other distinguished guests who added to the festivities.

Thai Pongal is a harvest festival that is celebrated by the Tamil community, especially in South India and 91传媒. It marks the beginning of the agricultural season and is celebrated with great energy and enthusiasm. The Tamil students’ committee at the 91传媒 aimed to keep the traditions and culture of Thai Pongal alive by organizing this event.听The Thai Pongal Vizha 2023 was a vibrant and colorful event that showcased the rich culture and traditions of the Tamil community. It was a perfect opportunity for the students to come together and celebrate the festive season with cultural ceremonies, music, dance, and delicious food. The event was a showcase of the rich cultural heritage of the Tamil community and was enjoyed by all who attended. It was a testament to the strong sense of community and inclusiveness that exists within the university.

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A Museum Exhibition organized by the Association of听History and Archaeology of the听 in the was held on 04th July 2018 at the Sumangala Reading Hall. A rare collection of artifacts related to many fields of history and archaeology were exhibited in this event under the mobile听museum听program conducts听by the Department of National Museum, Colombo.

Prof. D. P. S. Chandrakumara; Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, FHSS, Prof. K. M. Alexander; Head of the Department of History and Archaeology,听 听Rev. Dambara Amila Thero; Senior Lecturer, Dr. Gamini Ranasinghe, many academic members of the respective department听and undergraduates representing various departments of the faculty participated in this educational event.

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Art, literature and aesthetics

There is also another very important source from which we can draw inspiration in managing our lives effectively and meaningfully: art, literature and aesthetics. What is art? How did art originate? What is its purpose? Is it only for the sake of amusement? Or is it for the sake of the progress and the celebration of the superiority of mankind? What is its contribution towards creating a new man, new society and a new world? are some of the questions one can ask in order to better understand the role played by art in shaping human lives.

But art is not a simple process. It is an extremely intricate, deep and vast discipline and an evolving phenomenon with its purpose and definitions being subject to revision from time to time.

The earth, which we inhabit, is estimated by geologists to be four thousand six hundred million years old and it was millions of years later that the earth became suitable for human habitation. Thus it can be safely assumed that the current species of human beings are about two million years old.

Origin of art

In the human civilization thus originated and developed, the human activity and thought were two very important factors closely associated with the origin of art. In the beginning, man used activity solely for his survival and he made use of his body to get food, accommodation and clothing. However, it can be assumed that as evolution continued, man used imitation too to fulfill his various needs. Imitation may have originated especially in association with man’s reactions to the unforeseen forces in the physical world that were out of his control or the various mishaps, ailments, fears and terrors posed by the metaphysical world. He may also have resorted to imitation as a means of communicating to the tribesmen the encounters he had had with the wild beasts on hunting expeditions. However, later on imitation was used rhythmically and acoustically and thus it can be assumed that imitation is related to the origin of creative art. One exploring the historical roots of art may also find a close link between the use of human labour and the origin of art.

The second most important factor in the human evolution, thought played a much bigger role in the origin of art. The beauty of Nature surrounding the man inspired him and evoked in him aesthetic thoughts.

Man is different from other living beings due to his capacity for labour, thought and language skills in communication. These distinctive qualities and capacities of the human brain may have inspired and been instrumental in producing art or aesthetic expressions.

It should also be remembered at this juncture the existence of the belief that art or aesthetics is not a creation of man, but a gift of the God. The idealist belief that not only art, but also man is a creation of the God was later challenged by the Theory of Evolution put forth by the scientific school led by Charles Darwin. The Theory of Evolution proves on scientific and historical evidence as well as rational thinking that man evolved from the ape at some point of history. If man is a result of the process of evolution, so is art of the same process is a fair assumption.

It is widely believed that if there is any creation other than what has been created by Nature, it is invariably the result of man’s activity and thought. Various forms of imitation used by man to project his feelings and experiences to other men have been developed into various media and laid the foundation for art to be born. Some historical artifacts that validate this view are 25,000-year-old cave paintings at Altamira in Spain, 17,OOO-year old Lascaux cave art in Southeast France and expressions used to release exhaustion in hard labour, such as folk poetry (paru kavi, nelum kavi, karatta kavi, pel kavi) of ancient 91传媒.

Setting aside the numerous notions about the origin of art, let us now briefly examine the purpose of art, which would be very useful in understanding its importance in managing life. India’s Bharata Muni representing the Eastern view pointed out that the purpose of art is to generate sentiments. Greece’s Aristotle representing the Western view saw the purpose of art, with special reference to the theatre, to be the imitation of a task in progress. Marxist aestheticians described art as a symbolic expression of culture. According to Marx, art is a socio-realistic expression of the physical world. If the same view is analyzed from a different angle, art can be defined as the aesthetic reflection of Nature in the human mind.

According to Russia’s greatest novelist Leo Tolstoy, art is a human process by which a man infects others by evoking in them feelings he himself has experienced, with the use of certain external indications. ‘To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then, by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds, or forms expressed in words, so to transmit that feeling that others may experience the same feeling – this is the activity of art. ‘

听The prominent Western critic of the twentieth century 1.A. Richards stated that art is the pinnacle of communication. Pablo Picasso, a foremost painter of the modem art, indirectly expressed his view on the purpose of art in his famous quote: ‘I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.’ Ingmar Bergman, the world-renowned film director implied his view on art as follows: ‘To shoot afilm is to organise an entire universe.’

听Mahagama Sekara, 91传媒’s greatest poet of the twentieth century, presented his impression about art in his collection of poems ‘Prabuddha’ in the following lines;

‘0, Lord Buddha,
why did you forsake art?
Art is truth and illusion.
Truth is Nature.
Man can never create anything as beautiful as Nature.
Art is for the novices who cannot see that beauty … ‘

All these expressions are based on one distinctive concept – that is, art is life.

There is also an entire gamut of different views on art put forth at various stages of the听 human history: art is for the sake of life; art is for the sake of escape from life’s trials and tribulations; art is for the sake of resilience and enjoyment in the face of life’s trials and听 tribulations; art is for the sake of service; art is for the sake of self-expression; art is for the sake of amusement; art is for the sake of gratification of senses; art is for the sake of art.

I think it opportune to share with you an important quote by Leo Tolstoy on the relationship of art and science: ‘Science and art are as closely bound together as the lungs and the heart, so that if one organ is vitiated the other cannot act rightly.’ What other proof convinces you better that art and science go hand-in-hand with each other?

In exploring the possibilities of using art in managing life, one needs to be aware of the classification of art. Among diverse classifications, art can be classified into fine arts and utility arts; natural arts, folk arts and commercial arts; and also contemporary arts, abstract arts and visual arts.

Visual Arts, Performing Arts and Literature

However, art is an all-embracing term that includes painting, sculpture, carving, photography and architecture under the broad category of ‘visual arts’, dancing, music, theater and cinema under the broad category of ‘performance arts’ and various forms of prose such as novels and short stories and poetry such as ballad, quatrain and free verse under the broad category of ‘literature’. However, this too is not an exhaustive list because with the advent of computer and mobile technology, art is produced in various听 forms and formats.

It is clear that all these media of art are involved in a communication process 鈥� where one’s experience is shared among a number of others. This experience may not necessarily be one’s own; it could be someone else’s too. It could also be an assumed/imagined experience. It is quite common for human beings to share their experiences with others. It is a behavior that comes quite naturally to us to present and share our experiences with others at funerals, weddings, market, on the road, at home or on any other social occasion. It is also one of the conditions ensuring the smooth functioning of society.

Though the same communication process takes place in art, the difference is that the act of communication in art is not made directly. In other words, communication does not take the form of direct reporting. Human experiences are presented to others through art in an implied or indirect manner, in a different form, by translating emotions to sentiments imbued with aesthetic delight. In short, experience, when presented through art, is given ‘a shape’. In the absence of directness in expression, this shape may vary according to the medium through which it is channelled. The receiver of such shapes too is transformed into another person due to the shock produced by the arousal of feelings and sensations in him. This is the moment an ordinary spectator, reader or listener is transformed into an ardent ‘fan’.

An important fact that should be emphasized here is that the experience presented by the artist should by no means be an ordinary one. We acquire experience from the morning to the night and from the childhood to the old age. But all these experiences may not be of interest to others. Hence, an artist should select only the exceptional, acute, sensitive and singular ones out of the multitude of experiences. An acute experience, one that is received through the five senses – eye, ear, skin, nose and tongue – and synthesized by the mind into a self-expression is given a new shape by the imagination of the artist to create an original artistic expression.

‘Original’ means unprecedented. A person who sees, reads or hears an unprecedented thing is first amazed; then seized by powerful sentiments of horror, humour or compassion. The essence of all these sentiments is aesthetic delight. ‘Aesthetic delight is nothing but the overwhelming feeling of wonder’ , said Prof. Sarathchandra in his book ‘Kalpana Lokaya’.

听As I have already mentioned, any play, film, song, poem, novel or short story takes experience as its subject matter. This is called the ‘content’ – what is told (‘experience’). How it is told is the ‘format’ (‘form’). There is something to be told; there is a way that something is told. Content and format are experience and form respectively.

Content contains meaning while the format contains sentiments. Meaning addresses our intelligence and sentiments arouse our feelings. Meaning is perceptional while sentiments are sensational. Therefore, a person who associates great works of art or literature indulges himself both in meaning and sentiments.

Experience (content) is mostly a reality or a truth about society or life and the format in which this truth is conveyed is adorned with beauty. Thus we have truth and beauty collaborating in art!

Therefore, it is believed that the truth presented by the realist or naturalist artist is more beautiful and complete. On the other hand, there is also the belief that art and truth need not have any collaboration, on the premise that truth too is a relative thing and there is no consensus as to what truth is. For example, one person may hold a particular a religion or a belief as true, while another may think otherwise. Something upheld as true at some point of time may be proved otherwise later. However, one can see that as far as art is concerned, truth of a work very much depends on the respect and recognition accorded to its creator. On the other hand, one must not forget that the truth presented by art is not a private truth but a socially justifiable public truth.

What is the purpose of art?

Hence, this context may give rise to a number of questions relating to art and its role. What is the role of art and literature in managing life? Is art only for the sake of amusement? What is our objective in seeing a play or a movie? Why do we read a short story or a poem? What is our need to listen to a song or music?

The simple answer to these questions is ‘amusement’, but ‘joy’, ‘happiness’ and ‘delight’ too are possible answers. There is nothing wrong with these answers and one must not doubt their sincerity. But it is important to see whether art is purely for the sake of amusement. Amusement, of course, may be the primary purpose. The next and the most important purpose is the imparting of new experience, new knowledge and new vision through amusement. In short, broadening of the horizons of wisdom.

A work of art broadens the horizons of wisdom in an implicit, indirect and unconscious way. But one must take note that it is this excellent quality that should be the ultimate purpose of a great work of art.

Thus it is quite clear that providing a definite, straightforward and single answer to the

question ‘what is the purpose of art?’ is no simple task and it explains the various theories, arguments, beliefs and concepts that have come into existence around this question for hundreds of years. However, our reading about the purpose of art is that it is not purely for the sake of amusement; rather for ushering of wisdom required for creating a new man, new society and new world through imparting of new experience, new knowledge and new vision to the reader, spectator and listener by the means of amusement, with aesthetic delight serving as a catalyst.

Let us now look at how the German playwright Bertolt Brecht, who is considered to have turned the world upside down, hinted at the purpose of art in the following artistic self expression.

‘… what is the use of music
that doesn’t awaken men?
We don’t want the poem
that doesn’t have the message of mercy.
Lets turn our back on the novel
that doesn’t show us a way out.
Lets object to the play
that doesn’t provide us direction for action … ‘

Before concluding this speech and as a summary of it, permit me to place before this distinguished audience a real-life example as to how a distinctive and acutely-felt experience of an artist blossomed into a great work of art.

[The true experience related to the song ‘Sudu Neluma Ko … ‘ written by Ratna Sri Wijesinghe and sung by Dr Pundit Amaradewa, is presented to the audience very briefly with the lyrics.]

By Dr Jayalath Manorathna

41st Convocation Address of 91传媒 (2015)- 4th & 5th Sessions

You can download this convocation address here.

41st Convocation – 91传媒

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Pradeep Ratnayake, Head, Department of Languages, Cultural Studies and Performing Arts and Masahiko Satoh, distinguished Jazz pianist from Japan, will be performing at the 2015 Jeonju Int’l Sori Festival held in Korea on Saturday the 10^th of October.

The 2012 Jeonju Int’l Sori Festival has been chosen as one of ’25 of the Best World Music Festivals’ by Songlines, the professional British world music magazine, which means that it is becoming a world-level festival beyond that of Jeollabuk-do, or Korea.

Pradeep Ratnayake has also been invited by the organizers to do a workshop on the sitar and his work with 91传媒n folk music at this world famous music festival.

The duo will also be giving a concert for the EBS (Education Broadcast System), showcasing the unique coming together of the sitar and the piano.

They performed recently in Japan and in 91传媒 to mark the launch of their first album together, Serendip. The enormously successful concert at the Lionel Wendt theater in 91传媒 was presented by the 91传媒

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They can be collected from Sashika at the Vice Chancellor鈥檚 office in the Administration Building.

The concert will also see the release of the compact disk 鈥淪erendip鈥� by these distinguished internationally known musicians. This CD, which was produced and released in Tokyo, Japan, on July 25, 2015 is perhaps the first ever CD in the world, of the sitar and piano playing together with free improvisation. The evening will also feature some leading 91传媒n musicians like Ravibandu Vidyapati (Percussion), Professor Karunaratne Bandara (Percussion), Sureka Amarasinghe (Flute), Peshala Manoj (Tabla), Suraj Gunewardene (Bass guitar) and Isuru Perera (Kahoon).

Press Conference on Pradeep Ratnayake & Masahiko Satoh’s “SERENDIP” concert

The “91传媒n launch” of the CD “SERENDIP” by听 Pradeep Ratnayake & Masahiko Satoh will be held听on the 10th听of September听2015, at the听听Lionel Wendt Theater at 7 p.m. This was officially announced to the media,听holding a press conference today at 91传媒. This CD was also released in Japan, in听25th of July听this year.

Pradeep Ratnayake is a Senior lecturer and the听Head of the Department of Languages, Cultural Studies and Performing Arts of University of Sri Jayawardenepura. Speaking at the press conference he highlighted that this听is a “New Musical Revolution” since听this is a fusion of two solo instruments; Sitar and Piano which blends听western and eastern music in听an听Avant-Grade approach听and its never been tried before. Most of the audience do not adore the beauty of instrumental music but only tend to admire songs and vocal听art pieces, but attempts like this exposes the beauty of 听this fascinating art. He further said the he looks at “SERENDIP” as听a “Musical research work”.

Pradeep Ratnayake gave his first solo sitar performance at the age of 10 under the guidance of his teacher, D. A. Devage. He went on to study Indian classical music at the University of Visvabharati Santineketan, India in 1997. After receiving the highest marks ever given for a Degree in Sitar at Santiniketan, Pradeep returned to 91传媒 to begin a series of music concerts that showcased classical music and a new sound that combined many music traditions. Leading musicians from such fields as Jazz, Western classical and Folk music, joined him in the creation of this music. This series, called Pradeepanjalee, was eventually taken to distinguished venues of the world, such as the Vienna Musikverein in Vienna, the Weil Auditorium at Carneige Hall and the Europian Parliament. Musicians form around the world , such as Freddie Ravel, Ben Waltzer and Joe Chindamo on piano, Ramon Jaffe on cello, Thibault Cauvin on guitar, Eric Marienthal on saxophone and Miranda Cuckson and Helen Ayers on violin have joined him to perform his music. His concerto Kuveni 听for Sitar , Cello and Orchestra premiered in Germany in 2010 and has been performed most recently in South Africa.He was attached to Columbia University, New York as a Fulbright scholar from 2008-2010, where he worked with music faculty to find new sounds for sitar and new ways of composition. His film score for the movie “Siddhartha” won the Best Music Director Award at the International Buddhist Film Festival held in Vietnam in 2014. His albums Eastern Blues, Vista and Sithijaya Showcase听听his original compositions and his albums Ragas听from New York and Santhutti听feature Indian classical music.

Pradeep Rathnayake’s听work on the Sitar attempts to change its paradigm, in technique and sound, as he attempts to give it a 91传媒n identity with his playing and compositions. He had worked听with many international artists and recently he has collaborated with the听legendary Jazz Pianist Professor Masahiko Satoh. Pradeep’s work with Satoh allowed him to reach new highlights in communication between musical traditions. Pradeep says, “playing with Professor Satoh was not like playing with any other pianist. He knew almost to the exact note, what I would have liked to hear after a phrase I played. Our music flowed as perfectly as a story. Such a sense of connection. It was so deep and natural”.

Masahiko Satoh is a Jazz pianist, composer, arranger and a leading figure of free jazz. Born in Tokyo in 1941, He graduated from Keio University and stidied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston from 1966 to 1968 on a Downbeat Magazine Scholarship. He created his own production label BAJ Records in 1997. He is also the creator of the chair of Non~idiomatic Improvisation at Tokyo University of the Arts. He works with diverse styles of music, Including Japanese Buddhist chanting. He is an master of muse and improvisation. He has won many awards for his numerous albums. 91传媒 this album “Serendip” Satoh says, “Experiences in 91传媒, seeing the people and their land imposed a special spirit on us “. And about his composition Fumon in this album, he says, “I composed it 30 years ago with the image of the sound of Sitar. My delight is here, to be able to hear it with the real sound of the instrument played by Pradeep”.

Vice Chancellor Of University of Sri Jayawardenepura Prof. Sampath Amaratunge and Dean of the Faculty of听 Humanities and Social Sciences C.L.K. Nawarathna also addressed the gathering.

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Photographed by : Praneeth S Patabendige of J’pura flames

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