"Saint Mary Magdalene at the Sepulcher" by Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo
I am not convinced art is more about what you see than it is about what you feel.
I recently took a trip to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA. As my friend and I were perusing the walls and walls of beauty in the Italian gallery, I came across this painting. The description tells the Biblical story of Mary Magdalene as she sees Christ for the first time as the risen Messiah.
This painting captured me in a way I have never been captured by art. I began to process what I was seeing, feeling and I felt emotions rapidly swirling through me. I was raised listening and learning the stories of the Bible but never had I felt Mary Magdalene to be portrayed in such beauty. The golden shroud is immaculately detailed though, when I saw this painting, it brought waves of shame and happiness over me. All at the same time, I could have cried and laughed.
A million people could walk by this painting and it mean nothing to them. I choose to believe this painting had such an impact on me and the other people gathered by the painting because of our heightened level of passion. I could feel the others really taking in the painting and allowing it to resonate inside them. It feels as if the work of the truly passionate can only be appreciated by the truly passionate. Is this why many people don't care for museums? Does low art enthusiasm and museum attendance have a connection with true, deep rooted passion?
In that moment, standing in front of that painting, I felt unbelievably special. More so than I have in a long time. Passion stirs me on the inside and somehow manages to deepen my gifts with every artistic experience.
I think the reason why many people have low art enthusiasm and museum attendance has to do with the inability to be still. In this society, as a culture we are groomed from birth to death to crave instant gratification. We are bombarded with noise and digital distractions through TV, videos, and other media sources.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes time to be still, to be silent, to listen with your soul, there is a restlessness and the absence of passion. Why? This is new and unexpolored territory. With any new experience comes the feeling of being out your element and discomfort. Where there is normally noise and erratic visual stimulation, there is now silence and objects are in a static state.
To have passion is to have the ability to listen with your soul, to be silent and reflect on life -- past, present, and future, and to appreciate the many interpretations of life aka ART. For those that it does not come naturally, passion must be nurtured :)