Why I love Art
"Bridging the Seas with a Boat" by Rob Gonsalves. (Photo: Mal Mish/Flickr)
My love and fascination with the fine arts has grown rapidly over the last few years. From a simply unburdened visual feast, art has become a never ending personal and social psychology quiz. The more I learn, the more intrigued I get. With every next art work I encounter, I get deeper in awe with the magnitude of human creativity and more intensely concerned with my own. Navigating through the course of Art history is one of the greatest adventures in my life. And even though in the past, same as Jane Austen's character Cathrerine Morland , I have found history slightly dull and monotonous, infusing it with art has made it magically insightful and inspirational.
“But history, real solemn history, I cannot be interested in...
I read it a little as a duty, but it tells me nothing that does not either vex or weary me. The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars or pestilences, in every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all -- it is very tiresome.”
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
I feel like my eyes are finally learning how to see, my mind how to interpret and my emotions how to respond freely without prejudice. I make a conscious effort to accept what I don't understand, to appreciate what I have beyond my own possessions, and tolerate what my bias rejects.
Travelling, as well, has taken another dimension. Suddenly there is so much more to explore and make sense of. Looking with fresh eyes while merging with history, travelling in time with the senses and a little knowledge, gives me a new awareness and love for the world.
Just a basic thing, like studding a painting brings me so much joy. It gives me a chance to halt and challenge my short attention span, my focus, my knowledge, my patience, my views. In today's quick world of technologies and instant gratification, I finally found a way to stand still without the hand-cuffs of internet, and in parallel to be wild with my thoughts without stepping out of social boundaries.
Learning about art is like breathing freedom. Art has this incredible ability to express resistance or hope, to expose cruelty and defend human dignity. It can bring me to tears when happy or make me laugh when sad. It encourages me to communicate and connect with people in a world where inter-human relations are slowly decaying. It allows me personal freedom of thoughts and feelings in a society that tries to dictate every rule of my heart. It teaches me to be bold with my fantasies and humble with my judgements. It pushes me to look deeper and analyse what's not on plain view. It makes me feel the love of others and believe in humanity's good intentions. All that may sound utterly profound and slightly dubious, but think about it- Art is how we live and view life, and life itself is a form of art. Imagine:
If we can look at people as deep and analytical as we look at art...
If we show our fellow humans the same tolerance we have for the art we don't like...
If we try and remember what's important to the people closest to us the same way we remember the dates and events from art history...
If we apply all this freedom and creativity we admire in art to our own lives...
If we can be as transparent with out feelings as a still life painting, and as complex with our loyalty as an allegory...
wow, what a beautiful reality that could be. All we have to do is apply art to life, and life to art.
Happy Tuesday Everyone....and don't forget to smile!
Nicole
