My theory is that the purpose of art is to transmit universal
truths of a sort, but of a particular sort, that in art, whether
it's poetry, fiction or painting, you are telling the reader or
listener or viewer something he already knows but which
he doesn't quite know that he knows, so that in the action of
communication he experiences a recognition, a feeling that
he has been there before, a shock of recognition. And so,
what the artist does, or tries to do, is simply validate the
human experience and to tell people the deep human truths
which they already unconsciously know.
truths of a sort, but of a particular sort, that in art, whether
it's poetry, fiction or painting, you are telling the reader or
listener or viewer something he already knows but which
he doesn't quite know that he knows, so that in the action of
communication he experiences a recognition, a feeling that
he has been there before, a shock of recognition. And so,
what the artist does, or tries to do, is simply validate the
human experience and to tell people the deep human truths
which they already unconsciously know.
Walker Percy
with thanks to Whiskey River
~
Photo - Mystic Meandering
"Sacred Shadow"
Shadows on a wall colored purple
"Sacred Shadow"
Shadows on a wall colored purple
As an artist, I agree with Percy, but I must add that there's more when making art pottery which is beautiful and functional.
ReplyDeleteI think he's speaking about a particular kind of art, like interpretive "art" that can be "interpreted" in many different ways depending on the viewer/reader, an art that one can resonate with, and in doing so the "art" evokes something in the one viewing/reading it, and it awakens something in them...
DeleteThat's my "interpretation" anyway :)