The Beauty of Art
Singer and songwriter, K. D. Lang once said, “Look. Art knows no prejudice, art knows no boundaries, art really doesn’t have judgment in its purest form. So just go, just go.”
She is right, you know. Art is the most universal language of all. Art is able to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers. Art is the expression of the human experience in all its forms; a way to express what we feel, think and believe. It shows us parts of ourselves that are hidden deep inside our minds. Art is one of the ways that we, as a people can connect through shared experiences and emotions.
The great Pablo Picasso once said that, "Painting is an essential function of human life. Wherever human beings live, painting has existed and exists. Painting is a language, as with words."
You see, friends, the human race has been creating art since the beginning of time. Before there was writing, people used cave paintings and drawings to communicate ideas. Art is what brought us together as a species, it’s what brought us up as a society, and it’s what will bind us together in the future. Art truly is part of everyone’s culture and heritage, and the fact that art is so widespread means that you don’t have to travel far to find something beautiful — you just need to open your eyes and look around you. You just need to open your eyes and see how artists from around the world use their creativity to inspire change in the world around them. Their work connects people from all walks of life, regardless of where they live, what language they speak, their individual identity, the color of their skin, their Faith or lack thereof, who they love, or how they look. “Art knows no prejudice, and art knows no boundaries.”
I know there are some who will read this, maybe shake their heads a bit, and chuckle to themselves about this whole crazy concept called art and the crazy people who create it. Hey, I get it. Why would anyone spend hours, days, weeks, months, or years behind an easel, a potter’s wheel, a camera lens, or a table with pencils, crayons, chalk, markers, etc., why? Because this is their language. This is their cave paintings, their Sistine Chapel, their Guernica. This is their voice. Regardless of our differences, this is OUR voice as artists. And what makes it great is that ART truly is something that we can all experience and enjoy its beauty together.
So come on in. You’re all welcome here.
"Pride" Original photograph from Matthew Katzenberger Photography