What is art?

"I would like to counter this question with another question: what is a tree? Do its many functions define a tree? I would say no, in the first place a tree is a tree because God made it to be a tree. It is a given, total entity that asks for no justification because the only justification for the tree is that God made it. And so we stand in front of the tree and say: Thank you Lord that you made the tree." (407, H.R.)

"literature gives us metaphors about reality, it deepens our understanding of reality and it enhances our grasp of the world." (408, H.R.)

"One of the functions of poetry is to name things, and by naming things they become important to us. Poetry deepens our understanding of reality; it makes it real for us. That is exactly what poems are there for or paintings, which are 'visual' poems." (409, H.R.)

"Maybe we get too much information these days, which may kill some of the joy for us because it takes the discovery away. The joy of discovering, of giving names and of communication are so important. And that is what poems and paintings help us do." (409, H.R.)

"Today people stand before mountains and say: 'Look, how beautiful.' But i'm bound to say: 'Your eyes are closed, for you don't see anything or you wouldn't call them beautiful; you would say they are sublime! They are not in the same category as the nice dangling earring of that beautiful girl beside you.' We lose something when we lose awe." (410, H.R.)

"Art needs no justification. I cannot say art becomes good art only when it is useful for evangelism or education, or when it plays a role in the epistemological sense we have been discussing. Yet art also fulfills many functions and is tied with a thousand ties to reality." (410-411, H.R.)

"So there are many strange problems in our culture. We have to think and work to solve these problems. They are not just Christian problems but problems of culture in general; many people are working on them, and no one has yet been able to find a solution. Now, the solution is never just a little book or a little definition or a little plan, and it will certainly take one or two generations to accomplish. The answer is not another kind of utilitarian art, Christian utilitarian art, because we shouldn't be prostituting art to become something it was never made to be. Art was not made for evangelism. We should start a new development that bridges the gaps and solves the problem of the unreality of art in the museum. But first we have to pose the right questions. However, we are only just beginning to see those questions." (411, H.R.)

-excerpts from a wonderful discussion by Hans Rookmaaker, included in his book The Creative Gift, Durer, Dada and Desolation Row. I recently purchased his complete works-thanks to the kind owner of Hearts and Minds Bookstore who was selling books at the IAM Conference last month (learn more here)-and am quickly finding many riches there.