The Space between Art and God

A few weeks ago I gave a talk at the Baha'i Center in Rochester, NY entitled "The Space between Art and God." It was a shorten version of the talk I gave at the Chautauqua Institute in 2013 that focused on both meaning, metaphor and spiritual perception. I thought you might be interested in a portion of the talk that explored the question "What is Art?" taken from a painter's perspective. I presented a series of quotations from famous artists as well as from the Baha'i Writings. Each statement adds to a pattern of relationship between the inner and the outer worlds, the painting and the emotions that it evokes. I began with Aristotle – do you think he was on to something?

“The aim of art

is to represent not the outward appearance of things,

but their inner significance.” 

– Aristotle

Antoni Tapies

“Art should startle the viewer into

  thinking about the meaning of life.” 

Wassily Kandinsky

“The artist must have something to say,

for mastery over form is not his goal

 but rather the adapting of form 

to its inner meaning.”

Pablo Picasso

“The purpose of art is washing

     the dust of daily life off our souls.” 

Andy Warhol

 “Art is anything you can get away with”

Mark Rothko

“Art is an adventure into an unknown world,

which can be explored only

by those willing to take the risk.” 

 Vincent van Gogh

“My dear Theo, Feeling, even a fine feeling, for the beauties of nature isn’t the same as religious feeling, although I believe that the two are closely connected. 

The same is true of a feeling for art.” 

“…in this wonderful new age, art is worship.” 

“All art is a gift of the Holy Spirit.” 

– ‘Abdu’l-Baha