Art is dead. It is dead in its historical context of
painting and sculpture. It is dead in
its historical context of purveyor of awe.
It is dead in its historical context of significant purpose to
culture. It is dead in its loss of
contemporary humans attuned to its harmony.
It is dead in its relevancy. Am I
a alarmist, a pessimist, delusional, arrogantly opinionated or a honest artist? I believe all of this because I love art and
see it as sacred and a crucial part of humanity. The complexity of the human beings “attention
essence”, our ability to be attentive, has become so complex that Art must
become that which can harmonize with equal complexities tuned to this ever-increasing
new attentiveness. Humans are increasingly lacking in the
historical understanding of attentiveness, that ability to have prolonged
contemplation and/or focus, and are instead finding new ways to be
attentive. As artist we must understand
this and create in ways that can harmonize with this new viewer. Old understandings of art must die because
the viewer it once talked to no longer exist.
To continue to create in the same manner, as even the recent past is to
accept irrelevancy but sadder still, too fail to make Art. It is a very difficult task but no true
artist has ever walked into their studio with anything other than overwhelming
awe from the idea, “I must create a work of Art!” and there is where I find
meaning to being. Art is alive.
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| Union Art student Skylar Gregory's work on understanding the Divine nature of Form. |
