MYTHIC CONNECTIONS (MYTH IN PRACTICE): MYTH AS ART While on the subject of artistry, the beauty of myth cannot be understated and its consequent impact must be stressed. The nature of mythic symbolism and religious icons as rendered through art is both complex and pervasively influential. Mythic imagery (literal and personified) has fueled human imagination ever since the ancient humans have garnered their caves with illustrations of hunting and shamanistic rituals (such as found in Altamira or Lascaux). Pragmatically (and quite oversimplified), what myths reveal through oral wonders, religious doctrine reenacts visually through the “prophetic” eyes of great artists; most notably the European Renaissance tradition, which has revalued the old (Greco-Roman) gods and stressed the importance of the present God (Yahweh). And apart from religions that are against visual (or any other) representations of their deities and impose restrictions on how metaphysical concepts or just essences that impact their core being are being viewed, the mythic artistry is central to all religious doctrines. Of course, Islam probably comes to mind first, because you will be hard-pressed (if not harsh-repressed) to find an image of Allah for example … yet, their mastery of architectural, scientific, kaleidoscopic and even calligraphic artistry is extremely prominent and submerged by mythic motives nonetheless. While artistry in the olden days has been profusely employed politically (through patrons and the Church) and culturally (Greco-Roman and Hebrew tradition), the creations themselves transcend mere conservative desires of the institutions behind them. Despite the fact the Michelangelo’s statue of David transmits the Hebrew tradition, the sculpture is a marvel in its own right, beyond ideological implications. (Also, we later get a lot of dick-chopping of various statues by the institution, because it’s kind of hard to cover those concrete dongs with marble fig leaves, regardless of their insignificant size. But maybe even that was still just too arousing for the “devout” churchies, who am I to judge,) In either case, the artist’s (personal) and the patron’s (social) POV nevertheless have to go hand in hand for the art piece to really shine, of course on various levels. On the other hand, the demands of the investor and the inclinations of the artist may be at odds or at least the greatest creators can hide (often in plain sight) their own philosophy. Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling comes to mind, as God’s divine cloud and pageantry behind him are remarkably shaped like the human brain, if not Orion’s Nebula. I think it’s safe to say that the ramifications of that go beyond the wonder of the current age, but would in the past carry with it notions of everything from blasphemy and hubris to extreme insight. Thank god for that! Myth clearly influences art and art in return becomes “mythic” and far-reaching, Fueled by imagination and transcending power that can only be matched by intricate religious experiences, such great art exemplifies the innate aesthetic appeal of humanity and its expressive potential.
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November 2017
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