Beauty in Art

Beauty is an essential element in life. It is already a reality in Nature's creations but in human life and culture requires deliberate creative enterprise if we are to be capable of reflecting something of the quality of beauty in our own lives and in what we create.
In art, beauty is a harmonious quality whether integrated into design in architecture, colour in painting, costuming and music in ballet, harmony and melody in music, or perfection of form in sculpture. It is perceived in the excellence of mechanics, engineering, and rocket science as in the more abstract sciences and mathematics.
Both idealism and material realities have always had to co-exist and in art, when twinned successfully within the nature of the artist, have been responsible for creations of enduring greatness that nourish the soul.
Classical art was always considered to be inspired by the 'Muses' or the gods of inspiration whose purpose was to influence the human to be an intermediary for expression of certain spiritual energies or truths. Muses are associated with, or considered identical to, angelic consciousness of beings that inhabit spheres beyond the human plane of existence. These beings are nearer to heaven and therefore seen as more refined and ethereal than our mundane world in which we move and have our being.
An artist at work must have a Muse whether a human or spiritual one, else his creation is likely to be limited as an expression of negative states. This is evidenced in the hundreds of examples in galleries and foyers that express the artist's confusion, bias, or at worst is a product of mental disease or an outlet for his own subconscious demons and unresolved inner conflicts.
To create beauty we must be inspired by beauty whether beautiful forms, emotions, thoughts or spiritual aspirations. It is no coincidence that some of the finest surviving human creations from past ages were created as monuments to the highest reaches of spiritual thought, religion or philosophy. And the related institutions in societies supported and financed these enterprises.
With the decline of the powerful mass influence of religion in modern life and thought we tend to be left to our individual expressions in art. There is little evidence of great works of beauty being created although great canvasses of great commercial value have damaged and reduced art works to items of trade.
With painting is allowed to be reduced to a 'craft' which allows bizarre images, uncensored crudities and additional various materials other than paints to be attached to the canvas it must be time to re-evaluate what passes as mindless art in modern times. It is revealing to try to recall when you last stood in wonderment before a beautiful modern painting. Generally, and regrettably, it is a rare experience.
When music is without melody and fine sentiment and we tolerate the immensely popular noise of 'rock' bands that are the antithesis of harmony and beauty and allow the public to suffer sounds which are beyond the safe level for the human ear without damage -it is time to re-evaluate modern music. It is our good fortunate to be able to enjoy classical music of the highest standard as an alternative choice.
Social dance has slipped into the primitive mode of separate 'partners' gyrating to their own purpose having surrendered grace and the shared enjoyment of the music that typified social dancing of the past century. We are bereft of national dances in many western countries with little alternative way to enjoy dancing. Dance or ballet when cultivated as an artform for public demonstration and display has developed to embrace dramatic human dramas rather than the purely romantic accent of previous eras. When grace and beauty disappear from dance, it is urgently time to realise we have lost our way.
When accolades are given to authors who 'realistically' describe only the darker sides of human life but who deny proper use of the beauty and wealth of our English language, it is an affront to the literary art. If we allow inferior material, which once would have been censored, we are allowing negative influences and states of depression to be nurtured in the minds of readers that can only result in eventual violent behaviour. This is no gift to culture.
Architecture has endured periods of practicality, devoid of the aim to offer aesthetic satisfaction. We see bizarre efforts to construct the tallest building, the greatest in size, most extreme in technical innovation as we see perfect replicas of ancient grace in architecture that makes us acutely aware of the sterility of so many modern buildings. There are many professionals with skill and capability who could offer a real and beautiful contribution to architecture in this era providing they also feel inspired.
Enduring classical art is always beautiful - whether by design in architecture, colour in painting, costuming and music in ballet, harmony and melody in music, or perfection of form in sculpture.
Beyond their perception of everyday life, inspired artists know the powerful influence when they inject the familiar with a touch of magic - either by their special insight or their own spiritual energy to offer the viewer or the recipient an opportunity to journey beyond personal limitations into new and rewarding experiences or realizations of life.

However, today art has become a plaything of fashion. Galleries generally favour and display works of haphazard, unskilled, primitive and childish techniques over the works of painters, past and present, whose techniques and skills have the power to nourish our aesthetic needs and to satisfy the enduring appetite we naturally have for beauty - the vital ingredient to nourish our souls.