Search for Beauty 2021

 In reading through excerpts of Wilderness as Art , I was struck by the way that nature was written in a way that truly personified every aspect of a forest. It made me see nature as people all mixing together as opposed to as the inanimate objects they actually are. Landscape art has never been a category of art that I have sought out before, but as I was reading through this I would often take breaks to look up the artists being discussed. I was in awe of what they are able to do with just some paint and a paintbrush. It makes me feel as if I am in the painting itself, with all the attention to details, it is as if I can see every leaf. Even in just reading what these artists had to say about nature made me appreciate the world around me so much more, the beauty of the words alone transports you into a different state entirely. I noticed as I was starting to read this piece that I would plan when I would read around what were my most stressful times of day. Even in reading about ...

Maura Meservey  Beauty   I experienced beauty last month when I got to see my grandparents for the first time since the covid-19 pandemic began. After a long car ride filled with True Crime podcasts, finally pulling into their driveway in their small Massachusetts town and seeing their faces immediately filled me with joy.  I felt like a kid on Christmas morning walking up the steps leading to their front door and was so happy to finally hug them. The fresh scent of the New England air quickly transitioned to the smell of coffee and my Grandmother’s cooking. We all became overcome with emotions, as it had been a long year and a half without hugging each other, let alone even seeing each other in person. Their house brought the same level of comfort now as it had been doing for the past 21 years.  Reuniting with my grandparents was beautiful. The love that grandparents and their grandkids share is one like no other, and I was instantly thankful that I have that love i...

  I encountered beauty when I watched the waves crash against the sand on the Long Island Sound. The sun had just started to set, and the waves were rhythmically hitting the sand, causing the sand to darken in color as I watched. Another time I have encountered beauty is when I saw my cousin enter the church for her wedding, all dressed up and beaming with excitement and anticipation. The pure joy on her face was quite the sight to behold. My final example of encountering beauty is watching the sun melt into the horizon as it dips down for the night. The difference colors this moment creates are striking and are one of my favorite things to take in.  I saw the waves and thought about how freeing it would be to have the life of a wave, calm one minute and raging the next. The spontaneity is something to admire. I watched my cousin and felt like I was in her shoes, she was so emotive and open it was easy to empathize with her and taking in all her joy as well. The sun setting al...

When reading the first Chapter of this selection I made note of Plato's definition of art from The Republic  being that of "imitation". It appears to me that Plato may have an opposition to Art because a large part of Socrates' trial and execution came from the play "The Clouds" by Aristophanes. This reminds me of the class I took last semester with Dr. Silverman where we analyzed Augustine's Confessions  and noted his opposition to the theater as well. Much of Augustine's philosophy came from Neoplatonic writers that influenced his conversion to Christianity, but I would argue that beautiful art is inherently Christian in itself, for it reflects the beauty of God.  

 As I was reading Harrison I fell in love with her chapter on the Spring Festival. Just the idea that there was so much art and beauty all in one place, with all the tragedies performed. The writings of Aristotle discussing this festival only serve to greater illuminate the beauty on display. When she further delves into this ritual of a Dithyramb, I wish I could be transported back in time to take it all in. She writes of its beauty and the simplicity in it and I fell more in love. I love the idea of beauty being shown in the simplicity of a piece of art. It also gives me a whole new appreciation for an artist when I find the beauty in something simple, as that truly shows the skills the artist possesses. I think I also have a greater appreciation for art on the whole as I couldn't make something artistic if my life depended on it. I wonder what it would have been like to be there and take in all the scenes around me, it is such a full body experience from how she describes it. Th...