Principles
Art
Beauty and ‘idea art’
I read an interesting essay by a good writer on beauty. He said beauty in art needs no justification, not even truth. It just is, existing on its own merit. Interesting. It made me think how beauty seemed to me a point between life (time, the temporary) and the eternal. It was unique, and would never be again. That's it, beauty will never be again because it exists in time, and that is sad but “beautiful.”
Anyhow, the writer continued to speak of gigantism, saying that Wagner and Picasso sought to overwhelm as opposed to quietly pursue beauty. They created a big, tremendous world, a lot of noise hard to ignore, but that's all. Good point.
My art illustrates ideas and spiritual epiphanies or at least tries to. I lead with ideas, not beauty or technique. Perhaps, when learning art, beauty and technique come first. Now for me and for a time ideas come first. I am not sure if this works, but it's what I'm trying. The spirit might rebel against an art of ‘ideas.’ It just might want to have fun. Understood. We’ll leave a space for it. But for now we’ll attempt to carry ‘idea’ art to some kind of conclusion.