“When the two people who thus discover that they are on the same secret road are of different sexes, the friendship which arises between them will very easily pass – may pass in the first half hour – into erotic love. Indeed, unless they are physically repulsive to each other or unless one or both already loves elsewhere, it is almost certain to do so sooner or later. And conversely, erotic love may lead to Friendship between the lovers. But this, so far from obliterating the distinction between the two loves, puts it in a clearer light. If one who was first, in the deep and full sense, your Friend, is then gradually or suddenly revealed as also your lover you will certainly not want to share the Beloved’s erotic love with any third. But you will have no jealousy at all about sharing the Friendship. Nothing so enriches an erotic love as the discovery that the Beloved can deeply, truly and spontaneously enter into Friendship with the Friends you already had; to feel that not only are we two united by erotic love but we three or four or five are all travelers on the same quest, have all a common vision.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
My comment on this quote from Lewis' book 'The Four Loves" is that I believe it is an illustration of the intensities of a relationship, between just two people. It is outlining some possibilities and scenarios but How I feel it relates to Art is my topic: Art and it's relationship to the Artist, the Creator, is this type of intensity. Total commitment and dedication mixed with unbridled direction (ie: goal) is essential for one to grow. It takes many many years to grow the enormous intellectual, spiritual, and physical attributes to accomplish 'real art', although I must qualify that statement with this one: Yes, children can perform an event of 'real art' due to expression, feeling, emotion, etc, all those elements PURELY driven into medium whether it is graphic or music, can be , I believe classified into 'real art'. The first reference of definition I offer is one based on 'each piece' an Artist does is 'real art'. It certainly is not a 'Shark in a Tank of Formaldehyde"! That at best is a 'statement'. I call this FAD art, people caught up in a feeding frenzy without the slightest inclination of what they are 'eating'. Ha, I have to laugh at myself for my boldness to suggest that millionaires, multimillionaires, billionaires are idiots, generally speaking, when it comes to Art. They are FAD followers, and hey, sometimes those FADs keep or grow in monetary value, true. The question is are they 'feeding' you universal truths and aiding you in your personal growth? What are other questions that Art should answer? I would be very pleased to know that someone read this item and has the ability and insight to respond.
All My Friends, Love and Best Wishes to You, Brad
