Unveiling the middle ground where faith, philosophy, and beauty all meet in the person of Christ, image of the invisible God. And highlighting the importance of decoration as an art form
I appreciate the affirmation of the decorative work at the end here in its role as a harmonizer of a beautiful space, especially with your own connection to Plato’s The Timaeus, which I think makes it more than simply ornamental. I suppose drapes or chair cushions that remind us of another time or place or person would be similarly significant. I once had a beautiful midcentury Asian quilt my grandfather acquired on his travels hanging above my piano and it served the dual function of tying together my colors and evoking memories of a man who held a quite significant position in my life.
As an artist, I hope my role is both to serve the Creator in tuning in to the vision laid before me while exercising my skill to the best of my ability, praying that I might be a conduit for His presence. I see through a mirror dimly. Sometimes I have a more clear sense of what I want to convey and often the revelation develops in practice, and no doubt I sometimes miss the mark.
I wonder what you think of David Hockney’s Secret Knowledge theories in the paintings by Rembrandt and Georges de La Tours. Was the sublime use of shadow and light a decision based on practicality as well as intentional implication?
I'm not sure about David Hockney's Secret Knowledge theory. I did see him describe his theory that artist such as Ingres used a camera obscure (is that the same thing?). I wasn't convinced by his hypothesis. His argument was based upon the quality of the drawings of the past masters and he couldn't believe that it was possible to draw that well without 'cheating' so to speak. However, anyone who has ever studied the academic method of learning to draw and paint (and which dominated from about the 15th -19th centuries, would not be surprised to see the quality of the drawing of these masters. Hockney was trained in a post-War art school and received nothing like the quality of instruction that an atelier in this model would have given, and I don't think he was aware of how lacking his training was. So although he believed in good draughtmanship, his level of skill was not high compared to someone trained 100 years earlier.
Camera obscura, but also technological developments in optics and how these could be used for fast and accurate measurements, as well as in developing the ability to observe. Hockney makes a compelling argument for the thesis in his book, a fascinating exploration with many examples and illustrations if you are interested. And I do agree, the training of artists has shifted drastically.
Old lady whose parents were beatnik wannabe's. They pushed Dada, African pagan art masks, and Dali on my young mind. I always wanted to know what happened to art. I crave beauty. So, you may find this article helpful in connecting the dots. No hate. Unz is a Jew.
I appreciate the affirmation of the decorative work at the end here in its role as a harmonizer of a beautiful space, especially with your own connection to Plato’s The Timaeus, which I think makes it more than simply ornamental. I suppose drapes or chair cushions that remind us of another time or place or person would be similarly significant. I once had a beautiful midcentury Asian quilt my grandfather acquired on his travels hanging above my piano and it served the dual function of tying together my colors and evoking memories of a man who held a quite significant position in my life.
As an artist, I hope my role is both to serve the Creator in tuning in to the vision laid before me while exercising my skill to the best of my ability, praying that I might be a conduit for His presence. I see through a mirror dimly. Sometimes I have a more clear sense of what I want to convey and often the revelation develops in practice, and no doubt I sometimes miss the mark.
I wonder what you think of David Hockney’s Secret Knowledge theories in the paintings by Rembrandt and Georges de La Tours. Was the sublime use of shadow and light a decision based on practicality as well as intentional implication?
Thank you for this read.
I'm not sure about David Hockney's Secret Knowledge theory. I did see him describe his theory that artist such as Ingres used a camera obscure (is that the same thing?). I wasn't convinced by his hypothesis. His argument was based upon the quality of the drawings of the past masters and he couldn't believe that it was possible to draw that well without 'cheating' so to speak. However, anyone who has ever studied the academic method of learning to draw and paint (and which dominated from about the 15th -19th centuries, would not be surprised to see the quality of the drawing of these masters. Hockney was trained in a post-War art school and received nothing like the quality of instruction that an atelier in this model would have given, and I don't think he was aware of how lacking his training was. So although he believed in good draughtmanship, his level of skill was not high compared to someone trained 100 years earlier.
Camera obscura, but also technological developments in optics and how these could be used for fast and accurate measurements, as well as in developing the ability to observe. Hockney makes a compelling argument for the thesis in his book, a fascinating exploration with many examples and illustrations if you are interested. And I do agree, the training of artists has shifted drastically.
Thank you again.
We'll have to agree to differ re Hockney's hypothesis, but thank you very merry Christmas for your comment
Hi David, new here. Catholic. Found you while searching for St. Alban (the saint) image. [See https://traditioninaction.org/religious/h280_Alb.htm ]
Old lady whose parents were beatnik wannabe's. They pushed Dada, African pagan art masks, and Dali on my young mind. I always wanted to know what happened to art. I crave beauty. So, you may find this article helpful in connecting the dots. No hate. Unz is a Jew.
"Tristan Tzara and the Jewish Roots of Dada."
https://www.unz.com/article/tristan-tzara-and-the-jewish-roots-of-dada/
P.S. If you know want my comment just delete it. I'll understand. Cheers.