Art Surrounds Us…

Art Surrounds Us

Far too often we are so caught up in life we miss the simple things that are quietly, unobtrusively providing beauty and inspiration. Who would have thought that a bench with peeling paint could provide such inspiration as it did in Ernst Haas’ photograph Peeling Paint on Iron Bench? Art surrounds us; we just need to take the time to see it.

[pullquote style=”left” quote=”dark”]The simplicity of Brancusi’s art demonstrates the simplistic beauty of shape.[/pullquote]

The simplicity of Brancusi’s art demonstrates the simplistic beauty of shape. The simplicity of the shapes and forms that dominated his work, were interesting not only for their own structure, but also for how their shapes interacted with light and other objects creating additional art.

Some of the most primitive art know to man, The Chauvet Cave paintings were created about 30,000 B.C.E., and provide a window into the minds of some of our most primitive ancestors. Even then, using the most basic tools they were creating art. You have to wonder if they had the capacity to think beyond their lifetime and consider that they needed to leave behind a record of their life, or if they simply created the paintings for their own pleasure. The paintings demonstrate that even in our most primitive state, we as humans were drawn to form and color.

The importance of art to the individual experiencing it cannot be minimized. Van Gogh wrote of his love for art and how he felt it gave his life purpose. Even though he suffered greatly through waves of debilitating depression, he still considered himself fortunate because his art gave meaning and significance to his life. In Vincent’s letter to Theo, he wrote “I have a sure faith in art, a sure confidence that it is a powerful stream, which bears a man to harbor…” a potent statement about the intense power of art in Vincent’s life.

Although art has evolved over time just as man has, we are always finding new and some not so new ways to express ourselves.  We share our thoughts and emotions in a variety of mediums. Colorful fabrics, sculptures, architecture, pottery, furniture, and paintings, are just a few of the mediums chosen for some of our most interesting pieces of art to date. The one steadfast truth about art is its power over the human spirit. Art has the ability to conform to the individual’s thoughts and emotions creating a unique experience. No work of art looks or feels the same for everyone, but it makes us all feel something; something that is personal, and powerful.