It seems that what we call the “death of God” might be better understood as the death of our ability to see higher levels of reality. When that vision faded, beauty went with it. For if beauty is not a window to the divine, it becomes merely harmonious or decorative - and as Clement Greenberg observed, that kind of beauty is unserious for any true artist.
Traditional and modern art arise from two entirely different worldviews, with Romanticism and the Enlightenment standing between them.
Traditional art expresses universal truths to honor the divine.
Modern art expresses personal truths to honor human genius.
In traditional art, the work matters more than the artist, who often fades into anonymity.
In modern art, the artist becomes the focus of the work.
Traditional art uses shared symbols. Not to reinterpret them, but to participate in them and cultivate virtue.
Modern art turns abstract, inviting endless interpretation to find new meanings.
Traditional art is communal, speaking a shared visual language.
Modern art is individual, speaking a private one, which is why it constantly demands explanation.
Traditional art is functional, woven into life through pottery, clothing, doors, icons, and altars (temple culture).
Modern art is detached from life, existing mainly to be observed (museum culture).
Traditional artists follow craft traditions to preserve meaning and function.
Modern artists break rules to pursue originality over mastery.
Traditional art is integrated into the flow of life, harmonizing with its surroundings.
Modern art is isolated in museums, removed from daily experience.
Traditional art stands on the shoulders of giants, seeing farther through continuity.
Modern art peers into the cracks of the familiar, seeking the new through exception.
Thank you, and amen. Cynicism seeks to wrest the Divine from beauty for the vulnerability that is realized in the face of holiness. A vulgar human tendency mustachios the Mona Lisa in response to our disbelief of just how awe-striking our own makeup actually is. Possibly, the human problem is that we are more likely to suffer the fatigue of being mediocre than the fatigue of being uniquely phenomenal. Like art, we were created to reflect the Divine not as its source, but as evidence of it. It is a timely mandate to "Unbury Beauty" and seize the too-common tendency to lie to each other that we are all unlikely and unintended miracles.
Love this! Tomorrow, I have an essay in the queue called Ugly pumpkins: and the cost of perfection. It's about how too many people value sameness, causing us to miss opportunities for the beauty in imperfect things and art.
I love this piece - it's a great examination and testament to beauty in art and in life. But it begs the question, how much of beauty is related to/denoted by "goodness"?
You say, "Truth, goodness, and beauty are not separate currencies. When beauty is betrayed, truth and goodness wobble too." But I have to disagree. I think beauty and goodness are mutually exclusive. To be beautiful isn't inherently to be good. It's a more Victorian way of thinking and not necessarily wrong, but dated. Ugliness can be good, perverseness can be as well. Limiting beauty to goodness and vice versa is to equate bad with anything but that standard of beauty and, therefore, sanctity. It's important to recognize the gray areas that lie within beautiful and ugly and bad and good.
Thanks for this perspective and I do agree with it. My point was perhaps different. It was that when there is more beauty, there is more goodness in this world. I believe beauty uplifts our moods and makes us feel better about the world and ourselves. Not beauty is in goodness only.
A very welcome article. I don't know if I agree with everything, and I think that there are still many people and artists who strive to create and experience beauty, but yes, in the past century there have been a lot of artists, film makers and authors whose goal was to shock people and highlight negativity - violence, cruelty and ugliness. I'm afraid it's for a big part what the public asks for... On the other hand, there is more and more interest in spirituality, which by definition strives for positivity and beauty.
It seems that what we call the “death of God” might be better understood as the death of our ability to see higher levels of reality. When that vision faded, beauty went with it. For if beauty is not a window to the divine, it becomes merely harmonious or decorative - and as Clement Greenberg observed, that kind of beauty is unserious for any true artist.
Traditional and modern art arise from two entirely different worldviews, with Romanticism and the Enlightenment standing between them.
Traditional art expresses universal truths to honor the divine.
Modern art expresses personal truths to honor human genius.
In traditional art, the work matters more than the artist, who often fades into anonymity.
In modern art, the artist becomes the focus of the work.
Traditional art uses shared symbols. Not to reinterpret them, but to participate in them and cultivate virtue.
Modern art turns abstract, inviting endless interpretation to find new meanings.
Traditional art is communal, speaking a shared visual language.
Modern art is individual, speaking a private one, which is why it constantly demands explanation.
Traditional art is functional, woven into life through pottery, clothing, doors, icons, and altars (temple culture).
Modern art is detached from life, existing mainly to be observed (museum culture).
Traditional artists follow craft traditions to preserve meaning and function.
Modern artists break rules to pursue originality over mastery.
Traditional art is integrated into the flow of life, harmonizing with its surroundings.
Modern art is isolated in museums, removed from daily experience.
Traditional art stands on the shoulders of giants, seeing farther through continuity.
Modern art peers into the cracks of the familiar, seeking the new through exception.
Thank you, and amen. Cynicism seeks to wrest the Divine from beauty for the vulnerability that is realized in the face of holiness. A vulgar human tendency mustachios the Mona Lisa in response to our disbelief of just how awe-striking our own makeup actually is. Possibly, the human problem is that we are more likely to suffer the fatigue of being mediocre than the fatigue of being uniquely phenomenal. Like art, we were created to reflect the Divine not as its source, but as evidence of it. It is a timely mandate to "Unbury Beauty" and seize the too-common tendency to lie to each other that we are all unlikely and unintended miracles.
wonderful in every respect
Love this! Tomorrow, I have an essay in the queue called Ugly pumpkins: and the cost of perfection. It's about how too many people value sameness, causing us to miss opportunities for the beauty in imperfect things and art.
That should be a good one. Will look forward to it.
Appreciate it! Would love to hear your thoughts when it’s out.
I love this piece - it's a great examination and testament to beauty in art and in life. But it begs the question, how much of beauty is related to/denoted by "goodness"?
You say, "Truth, goodness, and beauty are not separate currencies. When beauty is betrayed, truth and goodness wobble too." But I have to disagree. I think beauty and goodness are mutually exclusive. To be beautiful isn't inherently to be good. It's a more Victorian way of thinking and not necessarily wrong, but dated. Ugliness can be good, perverseness can be as well. Limiting beauty to goodness and vice versa is to equate bad with anything but that standard of beauty and, therefore, sanctity. It's important to recognize the gray areas that lie within beautiful and ugly and bad and good.
Thanks for this perspective and I do agree with it. My point was perhaps different. It was that when there is more beauty, there is more goodness in this world. I believe beauty uplifts our moods and makes us feel better about the world and ourselves. Not beauty is in goodness only.
A very welcome article. I don't know if I agree with everything, and I think that there are still many people and artists who strive to create and experience beauty, but yes, in the past century there have been a lot of artists, film makers and authors whose goal was to shock people and highlight negativity - violence, cruelty and ugliness. I'm afraid it's for a big part what the public asks for... On the other hand, there is more and more interest in spirituality, which by definition strives for positivity and beauty.
There definitely are and hence my point that we have just buried it. We can bring beauty back. And there are many artists trying to do just that.