Art As A Spiritual Quest.

[zerostao]

Now come on, that looks a LOT like Da Vinci's Last Supper... hmmm...

interesting observation zen nomad. of course the primavera predates the last supper by about 13 years.

botticelli and da vinci both had a good understanding of geometry, i think you are onto something

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

its the geometric symmitry. subtle! i couldnt tell what it was at first! LOL I thought it was just the similar positioning of bodies and poses, but no, it revolve around the geometric (a)symmetry.


Hmm... what's that thing they did to show Da Vinci's "hidden pictures" Do that to this pic

Im suspicious that is "girl jesus" in the center, A.K.A. Mary Magdaline...

Edited August 23, 2013 by Northern Avid Judo Ant

[gendao]

It could be interesting to express and compare ideas in a nonverbal format, tapping into the right lobe instead for a change. So here's a fun art assignment for everyone out here:

 

Draw "God" (or whatever you believe is the most "divine or deepest" level of "reality" in the bigger picture) and post it here!

 

Edited August 23, 2013 by vortex

[zerostao]

it might be hard to top michelangelo's version. just to the right below center is michelangelo shedding his skin

 

[skydog]

 

Intuitive painting for a member on here, done by me.

 

The symbols in the painting are a mountain/Golden Pyramid and lake, the Planet Neptune, the star constellation Orion, A tiger, the Egyptian Sun god, Salvia Divinorum, A magical wizard tree, A slug, Rockclimbing, Handstands, back bends, pull-up leg lifts and a roller coaster.

[zerostao]

very cool skydog, thanks for sharing

[skydog]

Thank you zerostao

[Rara]

As for myself, visual art conveys more meaning and inspiration than reading most so called spiritual books. Listening to music this evening reminded me of this painting.

 

'Ulysses and The Sirens' by Herbert James Draper.

 

 

Yes. There is the first hand experience The books will only help make sense of it all. Music introduced me to spirituality and now I convey this in my own music.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Since the subject of Botticelli came up. I like this piece which includes the seductive play of Cupid.

 

 

 

 

Upon further examination of this piece, im shocked out of my wits.

 

 

The three girls frolicking (i guess you could call it that anyways - dancing at least) appear as though goddesss... the man reaching up with his wand and creating storm clouds looks as though meant to be a king or great general... i want to say King David, dont know why... but the girl closest to him...

 

 

She is a real person, exists today, has 3 daughters and 2 sons... identical to my "unofficially adopted mother" and it scares me (not only because she's called herself god on more than one occasion)...

 

The broaches on 2 of the 3 girls VERY CLOSELY resemble the Pendants in Ocarina of Time, of courage and of wisdom... suggesting the one with her back turned to us might resemble power if we could see...

 

Im thinking this might be a source of inspiration for one of the zelda teams when they went into the creation story aspects

 

 

But that woman on the left... if she did not look identical, i'd have had nothing more to say....

 

 

 

Although im still not fully understanding cupid and the dark angel... or the two blond women on the right... though one i suspect is a representation of fertility. ... and i think cupid is a retard

[zerostao]

 

[ralis]

 

 

 

 

Although im still not fully understanding cupid and the dark angel... or the two blond women on the right... though one i suspect is a representation of fertility. ... and i think cupid is a retard

 

If you fail to understand the archetype of Cupid, then how are you concluding that 'Cupid is a retard'? Just does not follow.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Archetype is one thing. purpose in this piece of art? im not sure... For example, he's blindfolded. Love is blind, right?

Not really sure if the piece is supposed to be a timeline or not...

[zerostao]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiEX8laTQCU

[zerostao]

Walter Pater did not write The Renaissance for his Victorian contemporaries. He wrote it for our current age to read and consider. Pater is speaking to us directly. Pater understood that a life without Beauty is a sad and dreary existence. Pater also understood that a life filled with Beauty and a humanity that placed high value on Beauty is the higher virtue and a higher form of human life. In the presence and in the light of Beauty we are reminded of the true nature of our universe. Pater rightly says that the renaissance can hardly be studied too much. Pater directs our attention to the light of everlasting beauties.

It was a remarkable light that existed in the time of the renaissance, it allowed beauty to be seen clearly and in this light the highest achievement in art and humanity took place. Botticelli and della Robbia express intimately a certain charm and beauty that is profound and sublime. It comforts us in tranquility. "In this way their works came to be like some subtle extract or essence, or almost like pure thoughts or ideas:and hence the breadth of humanity in them."(47) For my taste those gentle expressive looks that Botticelli and della Robbia show us in delightful charm are the heart and soul of the Italian renaissance. Will The Primavera ever cease to astonish and capture and set our imagination in motion? Has any artist ever expressed more heart warming charm than della Robbia? A possibility is Botticelli with Madonna of the Pomegranate. If you look at them it is clear to see that what is on each of their minds, as they look at you, is, are you the type of person who has the high virtue and humanity to rightly value beauty?

[zerostao]

i can hardly contain my excitement !! a newly discovered van Gogh very uplifting

"What makes this even more exceptional is that this is a transition work in his oeuvre, and moreover, a large painting from a period that is considered by many to be the culmination of his artistic achievement, his period in Arles in the south of France"

 

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/09/newly-discovered-failure-vincent-van-gogh/69179/

 

[steve]

Awesome post zerostao. I love van Gogh's work. I did a bit of a van Gogh tour in southern France (Arles and St. Remy) then visited the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Highly recommended to anyone interseted and able to go... The asylum in St. Remy is fascinating. There are reproductions of his paintings in multiple areas where he actually painted so you can compare the perspective on the canvas with his view...

[Apech]

Awesome post zerostao. I love van Gogh's work. I did a bit of a van Gogh tour in southern France (Arles and St. Remy) then visited the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Highly recommended to anyone interseted and able to go... The asylum in St. Remy is fascinating. There are reproductions of his paintings in multiple areas where he actually painted so you can compare the perspective on the canvas with his view...

 

 

I'd give my right ear to do that.

[steve]

I'd give my right ear to do that.

Haha! You're not that far... train tickets are reasonable...

I had to cross the pond! Twice!!

[ralis]

I have searched for this for some time. Symmetry, depth and a dynamic quality.

 

[zerostao]

yes nice find ralis and i am glad you bumped up this thread.

such views of beauty from the renaissance always amaze me.

then somehow we arrive in the postmodern art which declared war on the "illusion of beauty"

of the renaissance for the hope of finding truth. and gives us this

 

[Stosh]

To be clear ,

I liked the post , and think it is on point

not so much the piece.

but it leaves me to wonder whether art has anywhere new to go.

Beauty doesnt have to be the only meaning for art but including it

perhaps gets a point across more effectively with a bit o honey on it.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Stosh

[zerostao]

many of us are wondering that very thing stosh,

on the giacometti Walking Man

i think it does show the state of the postmodern man around 1960

he is frail and withered, doesnt his skin almost seem to be rotting off of his frame?

(and no wonder-considering the events of the pm age)

and he is walking somewhere (existential) but to where? does he even know?

also in the same year, hitchcock and cary grant in North By Northwest (existential)

the cary grant character> roger o. thornhill ,

when asked what the 'o' stood for he replied "nothing"

but the initials spell rot and maybe a reference to the rotting walking man of giacometti?

roger thornhill was on his own existential journey in that movie and he wasnt so sure where he

was heading either

even if i think the movie came out just before the art piece did, which is curious...

 

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/alberto_giacometti.html

[ralis]

[zerostao]

interesting ralis, who is that piece from?

 

i was never a big fan of baroque and those dutch painters (except van Gogh of course--but even his dutch style, 5h1t brown toned paintings, i aint much on-then he moved to france!) but these brown tones i can relate to in the baroque, becoz of the widespread despair of the times. these colorless earthy browntones fit that age. and art should fit the age, with a few exceptions now and then,,,, but starting browntone dutch art discussion will start with Rembrandt van Rijn

 

 

 

and i do appreciate the genius of Rembrandt, here in his 1659 self portrait;

 

 

the pose, color, costume, and clasped hands are an overt reference to Raphael's portrait of baldassare castiglione

implying that Rembrandt was the equal to the renaissance master Raphael.

his melancholic look is a carefully contrived personality trait based on Aristotle's statement that only melancholy men

could attain genius.

i brought up the baroque becoz it is the bridge between the renaissance and the enlightenment//\\age of reason)

[zerostao]

bernini's portrayal of the ecstasy st. theresa