Part 78

4. “Prettiness,” the result of catering to the shortcomings of the spectator’s taste, is a violation of the artist’s taste or sense of completeness and truth.

5. Knowledge of life (anatomy) is necessary:

α. One must understand life to portray it.

V. SCULPTURE:

a. The Greek Drama of the visual Arts:

1. The unlifelikeness of the material, the removal from life, makes it more beautiful, and a truer symbol.

b. Expresses idea through attitude of the human form.

VI. ARCHITECTURE:

a. Like music’s, its appeal is to the emotions, without definite sense or lifelikeness; but speaks as life itself.

b. To be complete, it must express outwardly its inner use and meaning.

c. To be sincere, or true, it must express the spirit of land and people.

TENTH MEETING

Shall We Make an Art of Life?

I. TRUTH, GOODNESS AND BEAUTY, BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS BEAUTY, WHICH COMBINES THE OTHER TWO:

a. Science is knowledge of facts.

b. Philosophy is vision of truth or aim.

c. Art is using our knowledge to create what we seek. Action and purpose.

II. ART IS SELF-EXPRESSION, CREATION, ACTION, RELATIONING:

a. All life, all being, is action, or self-expression.

b. All power in the world is imaginative, creative thought-power:

1. All things must be imagined before they can be known or done.

III. ALL GREAT ACTION, ALL GOODNESS, ALL POWER IN LIFE FOLLOWS THE SAME LAWS AS ART:

a. Therefore let us discover the laws of all arts, and see whether they can be applied to life.

IV. THE MESSAGE OF ALL THE ARTS:

a. All have the same laws:

1. Art is the symbol of completeness in a definite shape.

2. Is self-expression and self-fulfilment.

3. Must leave out the unimportant.