A Short Dialectic on Art
In order to improve something, something has to change; like when humanity learned that the earth is not flat. At that time, our understanding of the solar system improved. So improving our understanding of nature must involve a change—either new knowledge or remembering forgotten knowledge. What I'd like to share here is something that I think fits into the second category.
The question is: What is art?
A: Art is action done properly. This includes riding a bike.
Q: No, I won't accept this. Painting an artful picture requires something extra.
A: False. That which you think is extra is actually ordinary. When someone does anything with a sense of beauty and order, they are using the same faculty as a painter. The difference is a superficial one. The painter has knowledge and skill with colour, form, composition, etc. and the biker has riding skills. If one has skills in playing baseball, they can play it beautifully. Every action has the potential to be artful.
Q: So, why is this important?
A: Because we have been taught to believe that art is something different from everyday activities and therefore fail to understand the beauty of just being alive. The greed of modern society has blinded us from this ancient understanding of art. In order to become richer, we have crossed the moral line and sacrificed the beauty (art) in products, work, business, services, etc.
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