Art and Its Divine Purpose of Truth

Some of the earliest knowledge extant forms of human expression of creativity understood as art are first seen from prehistoric cultures in cave paintings, votive statues, and early burial sites. It cannot be know for certain what purpose these expressions served. The painting depicts very crude man with animal heads, an early small votive statue is a woman fully fecund with exaggerated breasts, the burial sight is hypothetically linked with astrology. The cave dweller’s existence depended on the hunt- to bear the head of the beast was intent to acquire supernatural abilities. The fecund votive figure hoped to serve in encouraging fertility, the burial sight looked to the stars searching for reality. The cave dweller sought power, the woman sought ability, the ancients sought knowledge- they all sought truth. 

Today, artists create myriad forms of expression contextualized with myriad ideologies. The conceptual artist may use light evoking a range of sensibilities from microphysics to limitlessness. The abstract painter may use a wealth of color and bold frenzied strokes while adhering to a balanced and harmonious composition inspiring an open door of interpretation. A performance artist may use an umbrella to hide from the world she fears and she believes fears her- her only means of defense being an iPhone. The conceptual artist seeks thought, the painter seeks equanimity, the performance artist seeks reality- they all seek truth. 

The aesthetic of the Mormon Existentialist believes in an art historical tradition grounded in humanism that sought and still seeks truth.

Know Thyself

Socrates said, “Know thyself,” meaning that one should spend time to know their own self before understanding obscure matters of the universe one could not possibly comprehend. In the search for the knowledge of reality, an authentic place to start is surely within the self before looking to the incomprehensible for understanding. 

Thus it follows with Shakespeare whose Polonius in Hamlet says: “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day,
 Thou canst not then be false to any man.” Polonius echoes Socrates’ cry of truth that reality cannot be without truth to the self as sure as night follows the day. He carries this reality further that, “Thou canst not then be false to any man.” It appears, therefore, that reality exists where there is truth and ceases to exist where there is not truth. 

In the King James Bible, Matthew 7: 12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” That in reality there exists truth and that truth is the substance of that reality is a fundamental standard that is maintained by the principle according to this golden rule. 

Accordingly, one must find a balance within the self, such as is made perfect in the golden rule, answered to in the conscience. If one might find a golden rule to all things in living, a fullness of integrity may be discovered whereby one might find truth and a reality of existence in that existence, one might truly know themselves for a surety and may trust securely in their knowledge of self as God sees them. One might feel peace, in living with a life of integrity, that they are their sure self, and that life is being realized in authenticity as sanctioned by God in this mortal existence. A path of honesty, along a sure path of integrity, is a genuine means whereby one might know their authentic self in this life and a surer way to experience the joys of eternal reality here on earth.

This is all applicable to the honorable soul whose life has led to a point of fruition where this level of nobility can be met.  But how is one to arrive at such a venerable stage, not impossible, but something difficult and only accomplished by a soul who truly lives truly?

As the early existentialists proposed of the essence of life… choice, choice and more choices.  This is well and good, but there are different degrees to which one is capable and free enough to make their own choices.  Life is as much limited as it is free for the best of us.  We have to take the failures with the triumphs. But, if we live temporally and simply take them as matter-of-factly, one misses out on the great adventure of life.

To find “balance within the self” is of the kind to be in a state of harmony that is self aligned and self knowing that is celestial bound; no crowd follower with heavy set dark eyes, black lipstick, dyed purple hair with dark roots, and wearing one tank top over the other with large black pants with belts hanging off… this is an extreme example of a common “worldly” style maintained by the young desperate to fit in.  But for those of us whom have made it though out teens, to live a celestial eternity one must look the part, the soul must radiate the part, the spirit must emanate the part, and the mind must be in-tuned with the part.  None of us will ever be completely “there" in this life but we can come closer to a celestial state of being everyday through an attitude of charity that is permanently fixed and a life of integrity based on reality.

As we get closer and we do have to make deliberate life decisions, we may either choose the path that the “world” sets for us that promises a track position, a large salary with top benefits, a job desired for a long while for the wrong reasons.  Or, follow the feeling in your heart that is whole and full when you think of the secondary job that will require a downgrade in lifestyle and less of what you might want of the material life, but it is what the Lord wants for you and you know it and cannot with any integrity deny it.

We are faced with these choices all of our lives. Myself with schizoaffective disorder, for the first 5 years of my illness, until I found my self securely at the University of Utah and securely on my way to a study of art history, even though all sides told me I would never make any money, I had been listening and holding to the hand of the Lord for comfort and guidance through every minute turn through those blackest of first 5 years of black schizophrenia and bipolarism and there is not a chance in the universe that I could have walked a step, taken a breath, made a reasoned thought, with out Him.  I had been so used to following that good and full feeling in my heart I was not about to stop now.  

Still arm in arm, as I turn 40 in three months, it is only becoming more exciting.  The Lord continued and continues to guide me as I face a promotion as an art critic I could never have foreseen, my schizophrenia is in remission, my faith is a rock, my finances are solid, the relationships in my life are full and abundant, my house is in order… all mercifully thanks to Him.  All of this amounts to one fine point.  I can learn to understand myself, to know my self, not through any soupy subjectivity; the more you look into the mirror the more confused you get.  You define yourself by the choices you make.

I can define myself and "know myself" as humble, as trusting, as brave, as fallible yet still honest and full of integrity, as a fighter and a believer, intelligent, loving, sincere, real, and true to who I am as a son of God and as a worshipper of my Savior who made my life possible.  

Since graduate school I have become so many more important things than those mentioned above, but I need not list them, I know what they are… I know who I am, I know my self.
I repeat:

Accordingly, one must find a balance within the self, such as is made perfect in the golden rule, answered to in the conscience. If one might find a golden rule to all things in living, a fullness of integrity may be discovered whereby one might find truth and a reality of existence in that existence, one might truly know themselves for a surety and may trust securely in their knowledge of self as God sees them. One might feel peace, in living with a life of integrity, that they are their sure self, and that life is being realized in authenticity as sanctioned by God in this mortal existence. A path of honesty, along a sure path of integrity, is a genuine means whereby one might know their authentic self in this life and a surer way to experience the joys of eternal reality here on earth.

The Real Beauty...

Many are beguiled by the illusions of youth and the physical qualities of youth amounting to a society obsessed by youth where standards of taste and even the basis of economics are fundamentally ruled by youth. The individual is rattled with anxieties over signs of aging and develops a frantic obsession to look “young.” Youthful never means beautiful. 

Youth develops a false sense of freedom and security. Youth is ignorance- a state of immaturity and naiveté- easily impressed upon and rarely makes an impression. Once one escapes youth the mind catches up to the worldly and becomes frightened… and until one finds one’s proper place in society and the possibility of finding the proper place with the self… is anxiety quelled. 

For many, the "proper place with the self" is never met and for these individuals, more is the rule and greed is the drive and a youth epitomized by an altered ideal of what could be- a reality where one might forever capitalize on their worldly greed in a state of youthful freedom and security- is the perpetual and self-defeating goal. This is certainly not beautiful. This is ugly. 

The closer one becomes in finding the “proper place with the self” one might find what can in truth be called “beautiful,” in mortality. Something that is cultivated and nurtured according to the way it has been designed to develop to its fullest potential certainly shall be beautiful in the greatest sense. 

In the same way, the Beautiful might best be realized in the individual as a full realization of who someone is supposed to be, with their full potential achieved, as ordained by God. An individual who has realized their full potential and has nurtured their God given talents and abilities and is the most authentic self they can be, happy and true to reality is a beautiful being. 

To alter the aging process, to compete with the illusions and false states of youth, to pollute the mind with a distorted self based upon gluttony and greed, this is not beauty it is ugly.  But to nurture the self to be as God willed one to be, in accordance with one's abilities and to maximize on true happiness and success in this life and to mature these gifts and every quality that is established for the eternities is certainly beautiful.