“In one way or another esthetic pleasure is felt by all members of mankind. No matter how diverse the ideals of beauty may be, the general character of the enjoyment of beauty is of the same order everywhere; the {} song of the Siberians, the dance of the African {}, the pantomime of the Californian Indians, the stone work of the New Zealanders, the carvings of the Melanesians, the sculpture of the Alaskans appeal to them in a manner not different from when we hear a song, when we see an artistic dance, or when we admire ornamental work, painting or sculpture. The very existence of song, dance, painting and sculpture among all the tribes known to us is proof of the craving to produce thigs that are felt as satisfying through their form, and of the capability of man to enjoy them.” – Franz Boas, Primitive Art, Introduction.
Sometimes words are not enough to bring well-round pleasure… to fully express what is happening above, below, around, and IN us. Perhaps the soul has things to express.
Some call that drive to create beauty, to create full expression, the ‘work of the Muse’. But, by whatever word we use to define where art comes from, we find ways to create meaning that words, alone, cannot express. There seems to be a craving to make MORE of existence and to use form, symbols, products, available, in ways that express that sense of beauty within. Some express the angst within. Some are very technical. Some are intuitive., There is form, symbol, color, patterns, marks, to express that ‘Within’. Emil Stephan, 1907, suggested that art was the subconscious effort to ‘make permanent’ the form of our subconscious.
All in all, the need for expression through art is universal. How one creates that expression is unique. Our enjoyment of artistic expression causes us to attempt many styles, genres, and art has no fixed technical attributes. There is a freedom of expression that we do not find in spoken word, in dance, in music and any other creative endeavors that are unique, sometimes in specific cultures. So much so that we question what is Fine Art, what is Crafting, and we can be very elitist in our unique answers. Artists can be competitive and, yet, there are those who simply do art for the expression, not for an audience or for sale. N matter how we look at art, I believe in Art for art’s sake. In my life, art is a balm, a healing, a prayer: Soul Speak. I purposefully do art journals where art is done for simply that reason and could never be bartered for. I go back to a quote tat has been fundamental in my life, by Richard Hooker: I [art]…” for no other reason but for this; that others might know I have not lived this life as if a dream”.
©Carol Desjarlais 1.13.24
No comments:
Post a Comment