Every once in a while, one experiences something that is both pleasing to the eye and challenging to the intellect. Something that makes you reflect and introspect, question the world and your implicit assumptions. Assumptions that you are not even aware of.
A visit to an arts museum has become one such experience for me - something that I look forward to.
It leaves me feeling reflective, creative and awed by the beauty of the people and the world.
Art is always fascinating and intriguing to a scientist like me. Far beyond the objectivity of numbers, graphs and findings, art is a subjective experience. There is no absolute truth that lies at the end of it. Art is what you make of it. Every individual brings something to the art and completes the artists' perspective in his head.
The artist may create beauty but the beholder's share of in the essence of art cannot be trivialized. As Einstein said, “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” There is something powerful and exhilarating about Art and about our ability to create and appreciate it.
Appreciating the nuances of art - the layers, the textures, the composition, the shape, the finesse, the interplay of it all is a fascinating process. But rarely do we question the very fundamentals of it.
After all - what is art? What is creativity? Is it the aesthetically pleasing use of the colors? Is it the accurate, life-like representation of the world around us? Is a thought challenging to be understood? Is it an artists' perspective? Is it philosophy? Is it a moment frozen in time or is it ever changing? Is it an abstraction that forces your mind to make sense? Or is it all just about the visual appeal?
The traditional more implicit view of art and creativity that I grew up with is rather restrictive and limiting but experiences make you question them. Visiting museums with their display of art from different genres, styles and artists set you upon a path of reflection - journey filled with questions but fascinating for the curious mind.
During my ruminations and reflections, I searched for an artists' perspective of art. Picasso says, "Art is the lie that helps us realize the truth" and that “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” How profoundly true!
Even though, I might hazard describing creativity as a novel assembly or view of existing elements; I have been unable to find a mold that can define come close to defining art and its enormous possibilities. Perhaps Rick Riordan was right when he said, “You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear thorough the search.”
“Anybody can look at a pretty girl and see a pretty girl. An artist can look at a pretty girl and see the old woman she will become. A better artist can look at an old woman and see the pretty girl that she used to be. But a great artist-a master-and that is what Auguste Rodin was-can look at an old woman, protray her exactly as she is...and force the viewer to see the pretty girl she used to be...and more than that, he can make anyone with the sensitivity of an armadillo, or even you, see that this lovely young girl is still alive, not old and ugly at all, but simply prisoned inside her ruined body. He can make you feel the quiet, endless tragedy that there was never a girl born who ever grew older than eighteen in her heart...no matter what the merciless hours have done to her. Look at her, Ben. Growing old doesn't matter to you and me; we were never meant to be admired-but it does to them.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
These vignettes of art as seen at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Boston set me forth on a journey of reflection and introspection. I hope they also help you understand art and its immense possibilities.
A visit to an arts museum has become one such experience for me - something that I look forward to.
It leaves me feeling reflective, creative and awed by the beauty of the people and the world.
Art is always fascinating and intriguing to a scientist like me. Far beyond the objectivity of numbers, graphs and findings, art is a subjective experience. There is no absolute truth that lies at the end of it. Art is what you make of it. Every individual brings something to the art and completes the artists' perspective in his head.
The artist may create beauty but the beholder's share of in the essence of art cannot be trivialized. As Einstein said, “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” There is something powerful and exhilarating about Art and about our ability to create and appreciate it.
Appreciating the nuances of art - the layers, the textures, the composition, the shape, the finesse, the interplay of it all is a fascinating process. But rarely do we question the very fundamentals of it.
After all - what is art? What is creativity? Is it the aesthetically pleasing use of the colors? Is it the accurate, life-like representation of the world around us? Is a thought challenging to be understood? Is it an artists' perspective? Is it philosophy? Is it a moment frozen in time or is it ever changing? Is it an abstraction that forces your mind to make sense? Or is it all just about the visual appeal?
The traditional more implicit view of art and creativity that I grew up with is rather restrictive and limiting but experiences make you question them. Visiting museums with their display of art from different genres, styles and artists set you upon a path of reflection - journey filled with questions but fascinating for the curious mind.
During my ruminations and reflections, I searched for an artists' perspective of art. Picasso says, "Art is the lie that helps us realize the truth" and that “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” How profoundly true!
Even though, I might hazard describing creativity as a novel assembly or view of existing elements; I have been unable to find a mold that can define come close to defining art and its enormous possibilities. Perhaps Rick Riordan was right when he said, “You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear thorough the search.”
“Anybody can look at a pretty girl and see a pretty girl. An artist can look at a pretty girl and see the old woman she will become. A better artist can look at an old woman and see the pretty girl that she used to be. But a great artist-a master-and that is what Auguste Rodin was-can look at an old woman, protray her exactly as she is...and force the viewer to see the pretty girl she used to be...and more than that, he can make anyone with the sensitivity of an armadillo, or even you, see that this lovely young girl is still alive, not old and ugly at all, but simply prisoned inside her ruined body. He can make you feel the quiet, endless tragedy that there was never a girl born who ever grew older than eighteen in her heart...no matter what the merciless hours have done to her. Look at her, Ben. Growing old doesn't matter to you and me; we were never meant to be admired-but it does to them.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
These vignettes of art as seen at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Boston set me forth on a journey of reflection and introspection. I hope they also help you understand art and its immense possibilities.
Barry McGee is the featured artist at the ICA and his contemporary art is an interesting and thought provoking perspective his art in cities. It is quirky, unusual, simple and at the same time thought provoking. A reflection of a city, where men and women are constantly drifting past each other, in a near trance state.
Redefining art.
Is art meant to be revered, displayed, protected and kept away from contact. Can everyday objects be a form of art too? Can you interact with art?
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