fundementals of the beautiful
For something to be beautiful, it must A) have integrity and B) arouse your sense of attraction on some level other than that of your crotch, not excluding that necessarily. it's these two factors that combined cause an elevation of your metaphysical capacities. Art must have this function, but it's not required for it to qualify as art by definition. i'm just saying that good art has to have these qualities. And beauty can have a masculine spirit about it too. When I was in Italy earlier this year looking at Michaelangelo's David, I noticed that the crowd ogling around this beautiful work of art were all straight- looking males. There was a definite sense of empathy radiating out of the sculptor's intent inherent in the work. This crowd of mostly middle- aged men were not getting off on some vintage homoerotica, they were taking refuge in the shadow of an icon of heroic male empowerment. It almost brought a tear to my eye. There's something about art of the Renaissance that's shamelessly erotic without being graphic. I'm not saying this is an ideal attribute but how many times have I soaked up the glow of an old miid-millenium master's work without being turned on. I know I've felt aroused, but not on that level, well sometimes maybe. Then again, really beautiful artwork like music or something can have an aphrodisiac effect, but that's another blog. Art without these qualities is just not interesting. It's like being attracted to someone before you end up doing anything sexual with them. In any qualitative romantic relationship, no one meets and then gets busy immediately, there's an energetic appeal to begin with, a poetic event of sorts, which is never purely a sexual act. There might be a cerebral exchange of a type, characteristics which stimulate you, a seductive enchantment takes place. It's this period before home base that the world of aesthetics is about. There's something erotic going on but not quite sexual. Then there's art which has this and pushes the boundaries further in a certain direction.
BERNINI'S ECSTASY OF ST. THERESA
MICHELANGELO'S DAVID
MICHELANGELO
VELAZQUEZ
WATERHOUSE
WATERHOUSE
SCHIELE
