"As a working definition of art, I lean toward Tolstoy's: "Art is a human activity having for it's purpose the transmission to other of the highest and best feelings to which mankind has risen." It seems to me that, regarding agrarian art, the farther it moves away from the natural world, especially when the main goal is money profits, the more difficult it becomes for it to reflect "the highest and best feelings" of humanity. The same is true of, of course, of agriculture itself. The farther it tries to remove itself from nature in search of money, the more it moves away from the highest and healthiest kinds of food.”
~ Gene Logsdon
More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Logsdon
Artwork from Jan Ritchie http://www.artweeks.org/galleries/2014/jan-ritchie-woa
~ Gene Logsdon
More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Logsdon
Artwork from Jan Ritchie http://www.artweeks.org/galleries/2014/jan-ritchie-woa
These are quotes from William Blake. They are all engraved on his image of the Laocoon sculpture.
ReplyDelete"For every Pleasure Money Is Useless
Where any view of Money exists Art cannot be carried on
Christianity is Art & not Money
Money is its Curse
The whole Business of Man Is The Arts & All Things Common
Prayer is the Study of Art
Praise is the Practise of Art
Fasting &c. all relate to Art
The outward Ceremony is Antichrist
Without Unceasing Practise nothing can be done
Practise is Art If you leave off you are Lost
A Poet a Painter a Musician an Architect: the Man
Or Woman who is not one of these is not a Christian
You must leave Fathers & Mothers & Houses & Lands
if they stand in the way of ART"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Laocoon.b.p1.300.jpg
Although I think Blake would have agreed with you post, I think he would have substituted the word 'imagination' or 'intuition' for feelings in Tolstoy's quote. For Blake, ART was an inclusive term which covered all those activities which nourished the body/spirit of man.
Thank you ellie!
ReplyDeleteAgrarian Art -- like this term. Gene Logsdon words are certainly a truism. Very nice post.
ReplyDelete