The Common Tone

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Faster than anger there is no longer here;

Red blindness asked to leave the hatred cast aside.

Here was not invited but saw the door was open;

Untrammeled by a full mind of there, I see.

Happiness is here.

Funny how people are most happy when thoughts are seldom. These big brains of ours could really use a rest, and our mouths have been getting a little too loose.

Some of you may have noticed how much I have been referring or obsessing over visual arts lately. Well, it’s kind of a continuing theme for me that really never goes away. Visual arts and their connections to the other arts, specifically music, have always piqued my interest. In reality comparison of the two fine arts are next to impossible and I would argue that their scrutinization simply pointless, in that regard anyway. Have you ever tried a comparison of the two, for that matter I could ask simply if anyone has tried comparing a table and a chair or an apple and an orange. Maybe compare is the wrong word, maybe correlate would be better, or maybe not. In short the better discussion is on how well they compliment each other, coincidence? What amazes me, when I think of it, is how I am hard wired for a certain direction. That direction being art. I love, and obsess, about all the arts. Art represents an exploration of the senses, whichever is in question. Oral: music, Visual: well….visual art, Taste: Culinary (as well as drink, I don’t know if that falls under culinary).

Does that make me superficial? I like to think I love life and do so by enjoying all that it has to offer. However I question this when I hear people voicing their complaints about one of the arts. Of course everyone is an individual and not everything appeals to everyone. But this almost brings me to believe in predestination. My passion is art, I simply cannot get passionate about anything else. To others, this is simply a superfluous waste of time, where they would prefer to be solving eqations or playing cricket. Which is by all means fine. It just makes me ask why. And isn’t that why we’re here….to ask why?

I am writing this due to a conversation recently had about music and visual art. In trying to prove that one is more or less complex, involved or intellectual than the other I managed only, through many interesting tangents, to discover how very similar they are. In fact all the arts are quite similar. They all start with simple: salty, bitter, sour, sweet; 12 tones; red, yellow blue (circle, square etc.) and then eventually combine and evolve into great works of art, pleasing to many senses, as well as on an intellectual level. All are present in everyday life and so they compliment perfectly. Who could deny how nice an evening with good food and drink, good music and a pleasant atmosphere is? The exciting part is when they become involved intellectually, as many arts are in the process of doing right now. Modern art and music are moving ever closer together, as tastes become more and more adventurous.

Out of this conversation came another realization: the inadequacy of language. What can one do with words?  Describe events, whether real or imaginary. They are quite good in this role. But as soon as one moves into anything even slightly more metaphysical words lose any edge they may have had. Try to describe your favorite favorite painting and do it justice, or favorite piece of music. It simply does not work. It is because art is feeling, and unfortunately, like anything so structured it has no sense of feeling. Not emotions….feeling.

And tat leaves me with just one last question about art. What does it do?