I have been thinking about art and the different expressions
of it in various times and groups of people. It seems to me that in the first
centuries art was predominantly centered about God and spiritual realities,
whereas somewhere after the millennium a change occurred that was plainly seen
in the artistic expression, paintings started to portray daily scenes of life,
the songs and lyrics started to talk
about the mundane and also poetry and writings were devoted much more to the human environments than to God and its
spheres. The focus changed from the
Creat-or to the creat-ed. I know I am overstating and making a gloss over
all, since the Greeks were also much centered in the human form, etc…but I want
just to look to this later change for now, the change that occurred after the
millennium.
It seems to me that this happened because a change of human
consciousness, that let man be more disconnected from the spiritual realities,
and more a free thinker, allowing then the display of all the technology that
came after. But moreover than that, man was left hanging amidst a system of
devotions that was not being effective anymore, the regular churches and their
ministering were not helping humankind to be selfless, and to guide them to God
for the renewing of their natures, on the other hand, they made them be
hypocrites the same as in the time of the Pharisees. At that time also many of
the Protestant, Anabaptist and other
movements started to give birth, in order to bring a different relation to the
Creator that would make the renewal of their natures. Why there is so much art
in the Catholic faith for example and not in the Plain people? I think the answer
lies in the change that happened in consciousness: when people were still
connected to the spiritual world in a matter of fact way, the art happened
almost involuntarily, it was a natural reaction of the human being. After that
an effort needed to be made to connect to the spiritual realities again and
bring forth art. Who hasn’t heard the expression of a writer for example saying: “oh, I have done
nothing at all, it all came to me” Inspiration is the word that we use for
that. But really, who knows about the spiritual realities behind every piece of
art? As I sit here writing I am wondering, who put these thoughts in my mind
really, and who is inspiring me to write them? Who amongst us can discern between spiritual realities nowadays?
I admit, not I. This spring, we tapped our maple trees, we
did not know which ones were maples…so somebody who knew came to help choose
which ones to tap. Now when the sap comes we can taste it and test that it is
indeed maple syrup. It is the same with the spirits, we may be blind as to whom
is whom, but we can see their fruits, we can test them and see if our lives are
filling with joy or love or patience, etc…, or if on the contrary, our lives
are getting more tempted and more sinful.
I think the approach that the Plain people make of art is a
cautious one, they do plenty of poetry, writing, singing, quilting, card-making,
white and black drawing , cooking…, yet they reserve the priority of artistic
expression to the result that it brings, they ask: Does it bring me closer to
God? Does it make me follow Christ’s steps more closely?
In my particular life I had to ask this question, and
unfortunately it was not a positive answer. I say unfortunately because I used
to paint and write poetry and also surround myself to all kinds of beauty. Yet
the more I looked at it the more it hindered my spiritual life. For example
amid beautiful pieces of religious art, instead of being in a state of devotion
to God it made me be in a state of devotion to self, pride was puffing up. When
I would start a painting also, it made me center my thoughts, will and heart to
it, and it would become an obsession to finish the piece of art, though
children needed me to help, or meals needed to be done, the painting was more
important. When writing, the sentences would float in my mind until weary,
after days of carrying them in my sleep, I would write them down and gave them
form, etc…..Was that helping me to
follow God’s will in my daily life? We all know the examples of great artists
who had poor relationships with their fellow men, it seems somehow that these
two things go pieced together back to front. As one goes forward the other goes
backward.
Looking also at
different homes, how we have homes and our dressing attire is an expression of
art, sometimes the more beautiful the houses, the less beautiful the heart. What does it all mean? Is the lust
of the eye making us be blind to the natural beauty? Is some kind a beauty alluring us away from God?
Well, again, trying not to generalize, there are always
exceptions to this, and in any rate it is based on my only perspective and
observation, yet it reckons to be pondered, is really art helpful in our age?
Does it help us to become closer to God?
Or is it just a mirror of our vanity? What is really the inspiration? What would have to change in order that we would
reach God again in a direct form? What art would look like for the man in the
21st century if it is to give
glory to God and not to other spirits?
When in some schools I see the art welling up so naturally their
curriculum, and see their children so much in self, I can’t but wonder, is this
really the way to better humankind? What are we doing wrong? Are we too
inclined to Luciferic ways, to pride? When I see the lack of artistic will in
the plain people, and I see their children so much learned in self-denial, I can’t but wonder, is really art in the
way? Are they just being over-protective? Is there any inclination to
Ahrimanic ways, to Fear?
If I have to choose
between art and heart, I choose heart. But yet again maybe I do not have to
choose and it is just my ignorance in things.
No comments:
Post a Comment