Let us ponder the inclusion of "Childhood's End", and come back to it....
Fear of death, to some extent, but more general. More like the Prisoner, though: I am not a number, I am a free man. We care, as human beings, about our individual stature, and are not content to just be useful to others.......
Do you like 17th century Dutch art? It is mostly domestic, undramatic, not particularly heroic. It is very realistic, but it is geared to everyday life. Does that bother you? Or must all art be "grand"?
Some modern art is unappealing, but mostly you are wrong. There is often an immediate appeal to the eye: the colors are pretty, the form is tantalizing, sensuous, or impressive; perhaps, as in the case of Klee or Miro, it is even whimsical. However, the mind rebels. Isn't there supposed to be a realistic picture? How can I admire something that seems so unfinished or lacking in craft? However, the idea is that the artist conceives the conditions under which the art will be created, and selects those pieces to show, rather than that he demonstrate a skill, like a juggler. Look at Picasso's earlier paintings, from the Rose and Blue period. He was one of the most facile painters of all time, and it finally bothered him, there was nothing much behind it except his ability, no real thought or feeling. As for the content, I do not think it requires much more study than is necessary to view most art work. After all, if one does not know something about religious iconography or mythology, the content of most Renaissance painting is inaccessible to one, too...... |
