"The creation of art is not the fulfillment of a need but the creation of a need. The world never needed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony until he created it. Now we could not live without it."
I couldn't agree more with everything Roger Scruton says in his documentary. I would add that historically "modern" or "con-temporary" arts have followed the fate of faiths and religions in our society. Arts (i.e. architecture, sculpture, theater, music or painting) were for centuries associated with the Church as their patron. Unlike other forms of artistic expression, visual arts never managed to re-invent themselves and took refuge into an elitist empty "avant-guardism", away from our society, away from reality and life. I agree with Roger Scruton it has become like a "cult". Artistic "avant-guardism for its own sake" is like a snake biting its own tail. It has become an enterprise of self-destruction: everything has become Art, therefore nothing is... "Con-temporary" art is doomed. Historically, "faiths" were defeated by the horrors of two successive world wars and by the progress of science. My hope is that Science, at its deepest, can provide substance to our empty "con-temporary" artists. Beauty is still an important and real value for scientists. Why? Because they deal with reality and life which is where Beauty can be found. I would quote here Confucius: "Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." This is, in my view, the social role and responsibility of an Artist.
I couldn't agree more with everything Roger Scruton says in his documentary.
ReplyDeleteI would add that historically "modern" or "con-temporary" arts have followed the fate of faiths and religions in our society. Arts (i.e. architecture, sculpture, theater, music or painting) were for centuries associated with the Church as their patron. Unlike other forms of artistic expression, visual arts never managed to re-invent themselves and took refuge into an elitist empty "avant-guardism", away from our society, away from reality and life.
I agree with Roger Scruton it has become like a "cult". Artistic "avant-guardism for its own sake" is like a snake biting its own tail. It has become an enterprise of self-destruction: everything has become Art, therefore nothing is... "Con-temporary" art is doomed.
Historically, "faiths" were defeated by the horrors of two successive world wars and by the progress of science.
My hope is that Science, at its deepest, can provide substance to our empty "con-temporary" artists.
Beauty is still an important and real value for scientists. Why? Because they deal with reality and life which is where Beauty can be found.
I would quote here Confucius: "Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it."
This is, in my view, the social role and responsibility of an Artist.