New Perspective

Ever had the experience--the Ah Ha moment--that completely changed your paradigm and subsequently your life?

I just had that today with regard to my purpose as an Artist after watching Scott Burdick's lecture on The Banishment of Beauty.

I am not exaggerating when I say this video completely changed me. In fact, it was only last post that I proclaimed my distaste for people's flowery, emotion-laden attachment to their art. And yet, here I am feeling suddenly like I am a crusader because I pursue Beauty in my art.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the film:

"there is no limit to the subjects and forms of aesthetic beauty. It can be seen in old faces, industry, and the most unexpected subjects imaginable – sometimes it is merely the play of light itself on a simple object. Tragedy, and even death, can be painfully beautiful subjects in the right hands. "

"It is not hard to make something ugly. Transcendent beauty, on the other hand, is a sparse commodity, something that helps make life bearable and spurs us on to heroic efforts to rise above the horrors of life. This is why beauty has been valued for all but the last century of the history of mankind."

"The beauty of love, of the sacrifice of a mother for their child, of the natural world and all its wonders of earth, sea, mountains, and wildlife, these are the things that inspire and remind us of what is worth fighting to preserve, be it another culture or our own humanity."

"The Impressionists were genius in showing the world a new form of aesthetic beauty, in both subject matter and technique. But this doesn’t mean that ever work that shocks will someday be called a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the lesson was the rebellion itself and soon the pattern of rejecting the past in ever shocking ways to make headlines would soon become the crucial goal. Eventually all that was left to rebel against was beauty itself, and modern art was truly born."

"Aesthetic beauty, while rare, is self evident."

“Beauty is a value as important as truth and goodness. I think we are losing beauty, and there is a danger that, with it, we will loose the meaning of life.” (from BBC Documentary titled "Why Beauty Matters" by Roger Scruton).

"I cannot count the times I’ve been asked in an interview, what 'message' I was trying to convey with my paintings. I’m sure every artist on the faculty here has gotten this question. When I honestly say that there is no message in the sense they are seeking, that painting is above all a visual language, and to translate the positive emotion that beauty can convey into words is impossible, I find these words used against me over and over. 'Traditional Realist painters admit it themselves – their paintings are meaningless, superficial depictions of beauty!'”

"Beauty is not useful in any material sense at all. Beauty is simply truth. The message of beauty is beauty. It is the ultimate circular argument, which is why you cannot argue it in words. It is a thing beyond us, a thing that hints at the divine."

Personally, I'm still digesting his whole message--even leaving room for some disagreement--but I know that something inside me was stirred deeply. And I know from past experiences that this stirring feeling means I'm on to something wonderful.

Thank you, Scott.