The Ministry of Artistry
Artistry is very interesting. It is something that has never truly been understood by the general public. We are aware of the necessity of art but unaware of the reasons for its necessity. Aspiring artists are very often told to get a real job and be more practical. What is art? Is it a commodity, a luxury, a ministry? Why don’t we know why we need it?
As an artist I’ve seen many reactions to the various ways I express myself. The most common is one of surprise. People are used to talkers. You tell people you can walk on water and they might smile and nod, but actually stepping on the river will still shock them even after they’ve been fairly warned. People are used to the mundane. No one believes in magic anymore (unless that magic will damn their souls). The world is so used to scientific empirical explanations for phenomenon that an actual artist often will take people out of their element of boredom.
The days of miracle workers and prophets told by the bible are viewed as long past. The great avatars, Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad are long dead and our current civilization goes without representation from the Divine. We are, however, not as unguided as some think.
Art has inspired revolution, evolution and resolution. Art, like truth is very dynamic and amorphous. It will reflect its environment differently depending on emotion, information, education and many other factors, the same way an opinion is created.
It has been said that man was created in God’s image. This means there is a fragment of the whole of God in every person. Religion aside, if this were to be true it would mean that we, as spiritual beings, collectively could reflect the Divine if we were to become aware of our true image. Art I believe is the highest form of expression. An artist can be defined as he or she who has seen the smallest fraction of God’s image. Art is the futile attempt at describing that fraction. And an artist’s career is the time spent trying to describe the ineffable. No art appreciator, no matter how savvy, cultured or rounded they are will ever completely understand a piece of art. The best they can do is observe the beauty, which could be described as the understanding that magic is real.
