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Truth in terms of logic is always true or false, 1 or 0, there is nothing in between. No half-truths or personal opinions; only a pure mathematical Boolean algebraic value; the logical truth is either one or the other and is used to evaluate propositions.

Science is based on logic; we’ve got equations to find out how far an object moves if it’s velocity is x and the time spent is y and so forth; and they can be rearranged from their origin and still give us the same logical answer every time they are used, even if the person using the equation changes. In science there is no such thing as misinterpretation in terms of the equations used. Although a scientist may feel stronger about a topic or subject within science than another, and may have certain equations he likes better than others, that doesn’t change the result. In science you can predict your answer; you’ve got absolute values and equations. In the end you get a reasonable answer that you can defend with your use of the equation.

Art on the other hand does not deal with absolute values and equations. Art is neither true nor false hence art can’t be logical. One rarely sees a piece of art that comes with an equation on how to interpret it; how to read the work of art that we have in front of us. Does this mean that art can’t tell the truth?

In order to answer that question we need to establish an understanding of whose truth we are talking about. When an artist makes a painting he probably had a reason for doing so. If you paint pictures as a hobby you are likely to have a truth different from the African Tinga-Tinga painters who earn their living from their works of art. One truth is based on hard work and the necessity to perform in order to survive, whilst the other is more a luxury of being able to do something else other than work. As a consequence we’ll have to talk about truth in terms of the viewer of the painting; the one who interprets the work of art. This leads to discussion of an individual truth or personal truth although I would risk saying that truth is in the eyes of the beholder, suggesting that truth in terms of art is rather subjective.

Having established what truth is and whose truth we are talking about, we can finally move along to talk about whether art does, or can, tell the truth. When looking at a work of art, a painting or such, it will probably evoke an emotion. If you recognize this emotion you might say that the painting is telling the truth. Not the truth of the painter, as we in general know nothing of that, but the truth of yourself or your emotions. With the Tinga-Tinga paintings still in mind; although they are products of need they still manages to stir up an emotion with their bright coloured paintings of Masaai warriors walking together in fellowship over the red spangled plains of Kilimanjaro during a days end.

The counter claim would be that you can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, at the same time you can’t tell the truth to someone who doesn’t want to see the truth. If you don’t want to touch a feeling or recognize it; chances are that you will not see the truth in a work of art, a truth that tells you something about yourself. Although by rejecting truth you accept the lies and thereby make them your truth.

Before the invention of photography the only way to duplicate the truth or to catch the moment was to make a painting of it. This was, of course, time-consuming work and required skills in order to make it look like the real situation; look like the truth. So then after photography was invented, the need to paint the truth more or less disappeared. The need for truth, I dare say, increased as one now could give a more accurate description of what was the case at the time the picture was taken. Photography however only tells us about what is regarded as the “outward show”; what you see, an observation, and the truth is not always the same as appearances can be deceiving. A person with a lot of money is not necessarily rich although you observe his pile of money; in fact he could be on his way back from the bank where he has borrowed the money. In which case the money would belong to the bank and he would be just as rich or poor as when he entered the bank, maybe even poorer considering interest.

The great thing about art and interpretation of art however is that we all see the same, given that your eyes are working properly, but we interpret what we see differently. An example of this is the use of the number 13. In the Christian religion, the number is considered significant since there were thirteen present at the Last Supper. In the Jewish tradition, the same number signifies an age of maturity, a 13 year old Jew is said to be Bar mitzvah. In general for Jews, 13 is more of a lucky number than an unlucky one. Modern day witches have reclaimed the number 13 as a lucky and significant number. This may be similar to witches reclaiming other previously negative terms and ideas associated with witchcraft, such as black cats, brooms, and even the term witch itself. Amongst some Chinese people, the number is regarded as a lucky number because it sounds similar to "實生", which means "must be alive" (Alexandrov, Oleg. “4 (number)”). The number is the same, it’s written alike, but we interpret it different based on religion or geography. In science we don’t operate with these kinds of interpretations; we can’t; in science we need something unbiased for which we can trust. So then truth in terms of art is not something bombastic and prejudiced, rather an individual interpretation.

So if art does in fact tell the truth; what kinds of truth then? We have established that if the art is telling the truth, it is the truth of the viewer and not the painter and furthermore the truth tells us something about oneself. So the kind of truth the art is telling us then varies from the one who interprets it. We are attracted to truth, and to beauty, we get excited whenever we discover a new truth, we may even describe the truth as beauty. The beauty of truth.

From early childhood we are taught that we should always tell the truth, be as honest as possible. We are also taught that we should be neat and don’t leave a mess after us. We are taught to like what is beautiful and always pursue beauty. Truth is beauty, and so we pursue truth. Through art we get to see truth, our own truth; and beauty. If you are good don’t lie; then according to the Christian belief you’ll go to heaven, where there are beautiful angels and everything is made of gold. For the strong believers of the Christian religion, this is truth; and it’s beautiful. In Islam there are seven of them, each with increasing superiority and beauty. It is written that in the heavens there are the most beautiful and youthful people, where richness is scattered, the tastiest and sweetest of all fruits grow, and there isn't a single harm or worry. This is their truth; it’s their most beautiful place. So truth in terms of art then tells us about beauty. The beauty of truth.

Bibliography

Alexandrov, Oleg. “4 (number)”. Wednesday 16th of March 2005. Wikipedia. Sunday 20th of March 2005 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4_%28number%29