Well, not Edgar Degas himself of course, but a compilation of his works at a special exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. What does art have to do with Natural Living? Quite a bit because what many famous artists over the years were able to connect to whether it be nature or spirituality or religion or ideas, perceptions - it is still a unique expression of the world around us - one that is aesthetic rather than commercial - for most artists are either poor or starving and try to create something more original than just what a machine or computer can do. It can be any medium whether it is sculpture or paint or pottery or photography or glass or stained glass or writing or music.
In art history, different groups or movements, whether it be Realism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau, Pointilism, Modernism, Abstract and so on, are expressions. How the aspects of light, color, texture, form and mediums like paint, charcoal, pastels and monographs are handled, as well as subject matter. Some artists in Paris painted what they thought was real life and catching grim wisps of peasant or street life. And in groupings where they discussed art or argued about principles of art and power struggles to be noticed and accepted, meanwhile the art itself was wanting to be born in expression.
This also goes for music as an art form, and can't we all appreciate a good piece of music - and didn't our mothers' lullabies rock us to sleep?
Experiencing art, light, color - I feel these are natural things that nourish the body, mind, soul and spirit.
So yes, an exhibit of the works of Edgar Degas. I drove to the City on a summer Sunday morning, striving to be at the doors of the museum when it opened, and yet the line was already out the door. I was taken on a magical, mysterious tour of a collection from around the world, and doubt there will ever be another one like it.
Edgar Degas did not consider himself to be an Impressionist and by good fortune he came from a wealthy family, so he was able to paint art for the sake of art and not necessarily the critics.
I learned that Edgar Degas was about more than just painting ballerinas, for which he was famous, and cafe singers, washer women and prostitutes, but he was really painting Paris. But also during his time was the strong influence of the introduction of photography, and the use of printing to make monographs as an art form as well.
With the Industrial Revolution, people were seeking balance between the natural world and the mechanical world, not so different from now when we spend our days on computers and phones and televisions. Whereas some artists were concerned with light during this time in history, and throughout history as well in different degrees and techniques, Degas' passion was capturing movement in such a way that figures still appeared to be moving - so real or surreal that you expect the characters to move as if in a film, yet some figures appear to be stern or stoic. Others give just a hint of movement which is enough to suggest movement and power. All of this of course was experimental.
While viewing these works in this exhibit, it was clear to see that Degas' did many movement studies, and sketched certain subjects over and over again. He pursued his own ideas. Originally he went to the Louvre and copied Renaissance paintings, and throughout his years of painting he struggled to reconcile the old traditions with the new - which was quite a challenge and something that faced all the artists of his time.
Degas experimented with modern techniques by using the "monotype" process - which is to drawn in ink on a metal plate which was then run through a press and produced a print. After the single print was produced Degas would rework and revise with color and it allowed him to try to experiment and create. He produced at least 300 monotypes.
And although Degas did meet with Impressionists and was friends or acquaintances or enemies of many artists of the times, and although he organized many Impressionist exhibits, he still considered himself to be a realist.
But no matter what he did, Degas and other artists throughout history give us the gifts of their creativity and expression that comes from within a creative process and not something manufactured by a machine or an assembly line.
I felt very inspired when I left the museum. However, it was pouring rain by then. I had bought some books in the bookstore and didn't want them to get ruined. Although the bag was water "resistant" I couldn't be sure in the downpour. I waited awhile for it to let up, but it didn't really. I did have an umbrella and rain jacket and waterproof shoes, so I tucked my bag inside my jacket and headed out into the storm.
There were puddles everywhere that had flowed into small streams. It was dark and grey, nothing like the idyllic summer day you would imagine. Everything was wet from buildings to cars to streets and sidewalks and windows. So I rushed through the streets, passing by Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral, and small streams of people of all ages, sizes and colorful clothing, a sense of movement like a tide in the streets, together with cars and taxies flowing at their own frenetic pace. And yet it still had an order to it. Stop lights would cease the flow of cars, and yet allow streams and lines of people to cross.
It wasn't long before I found my parking garage and went into the flow of the streets, then down through the tunnel and headed towards home. The trip itself was an expression of life, and me within that life. This is natural living, to be alive, and to experience and feel and appreciate life.
Enjoy,
Maery
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