Can art save souls?

[_Hoops]

You couldn't have demonstrated my point more clearly.

Nor could you mine.

[_Buffalo]

You couldn't have demonstrated my point more clearly.

Nor could you mine.

You fired the first shot, Hoops. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, and all that. :)

[_Hoops]

You fired the first shot...

at someone who would actually want to discuss something.

Feel free to find one.

[_Quasimodo]

Today I think there is very little that is actually art, and a whole lot that masquerades as art. And it was like that anciently too.

Friend harmony. I think visual art is a language without words, a purer language. Like music. It's easy to think of language that you don't understand as gibberish. That doesn't mean that it is gibberish, though. Just something that you don't quite get yet.

As an example, what does beethoven's fifth sympathy mean? What does a stunning sunset mean? Visual art is the same. I'm an illustrator. What I create (even though very realistic at times) is not art. Art is something that speaks to your soul without reference.

Just my two cents.

[_Hoops]

Art is something that speaks to your soul without reference.

Explain.

[_Buffalo]

You fired the first shot...

at someone who would actually want to discuss something.

Feel free to find one.[/quote]

I'm addressing someone who refuses to get into a substantive discussion with anyone.

[_Quasimodo]

Art is something that speaks to your soul without reference.

Explain.

I thought I did. Evidently not well enough. I'll try again. A great piece of music can move most people emotionally. It has no reference to any reality. It touches us in an inexplicable way. A stunning visual experience can do the same (Grand Canyon? Moonlight on snow capped mountains?) I have no explanation of that feeling. Does anyone?.

In my opinion, great art does that as well. A simple (maybe overused) example is van Gogh's "Starry Night":



It does not represent reality at all. Anyone could take a photograph that gave a more realistic image than this. Vincent was not trying to show what his eyes saw. He was trying to show what his heart saw. His soul.

Maybe this is still a poor explanation. It's hard to use words to describe what I mean.

[_Hoops]

I would comment:

I'll try again. A great piece of music can move most people emotionally. It has no reference to any reality.

But it does have a reference to reality. It references our shared experience with music at least, and it references our manufactured association with the music. We share the ability to do this.

It touches us in an inexplicable way. A stunning visual experience can do the same (Grand Canyon? Moonlight on snow capped mountains?) I have no explanation of that feeling. Does anyone?.

Here's what I think. When we have those experiences, we are recognizing something outside ourselves, the unique compilation that is the human being. We are recognizing the artists attempt to reach out to us, to expand us, to have us participate with him/her in what he sees/hears/feels/.

It does not represent reality at all. Anyone could take a photograph that gave a more realistic image than this. Vincent was not trying to show what his eyes saw. He was trying to show what his heart saw. His soul.

Yep. But where does this motivation come from? How does this help any of us in any material way?

Maybe this is still a poor explanation.

It's excellent.

It's hard to use words to describe what I mean.

It is isn't it? Fortunately, we have words to describe music, and music to describe words.

[_Drifting]

I find art a fascinating subject.

The journey an artist goes on to produce a piece is often more intriguing than the final production itself.

Van Gogh's starry night is a great piece. Almost childlike, but imagine spending an hour with him chatting about how it came about.

[_just me]

Oh my goddess, Pa! I cannot even. I have so many emotions!!! I <3 you!

Art can clearly save us. It inspires us, teaches, teases, evokes emotion and allows us to be what we are... Creators.

The visual and performing arts are something I would never want to be without. Well, humans would never be without them...we can help but create these things. Just as the birds cannot help but sing and the canyons cannot help but be stunningly beautiful.