Great
Works of Art
(not
quite as rare as hen’s teeth but almost)
I have enjoyed looking
at a number of art works (famous, infamous and obscure) but I must confess only
a rare few have widened my vision of what makes some works great. Do we need to be an art critic to recognize a
really great work of art? I think
not. When I was teaching theatre
techniques to university students I often reminded them that great works of art
in the theatre are truly rare. Indeed, I
could only admit to witnessing three productions I wished to call a great work
of art in my forty-five years of watching hundreds of theatre productions. Though I have seen many worthwhile and
engaging productions and an equal number of not so worthwhile productions,
truly great productions are once in a lifetime experiences. I am grateful that I have experienced three
such works.
Theatre is an ephemeral
art form. Its great works cannot wear
time but, with care, paintings are lasting and the works of the past are as
engaging now as they were in previous periods. While I believe great paintings are as rare
as great theatre productions, we are fortunate that truly great paintings are
still with us and consequently cumulative.
We have the ability to admire
paintings from different periods, schools and genres and this gives us something of a false
perspective of the number of great paintings produced. Were great paintings ephemeral, lasting a
mere generation, we would become acutely aware that not so great paintings are
common place.
While I am convinced that a
great novel or play script is a conscious creation I am not so sure that the
greatness of a theatre production or painting is a conscious creation. Partly, because I can often point out the
greatness of a novel or play script whereas a great painting seems to depend on
the mixture of colours, texture, techniques, methods, size, rendition, subject
matter and presentation in a
incalculable way.
There is an element of
surprise in a great painting; a recognition that there is something special but
unutterable contained within the work. Of
course we try to describe the element that has no name. We say the work comes alive for us or it
seems to float before our eyes or it engages us or grabs us as other paintings
do not or it becomes greater than the sum of its parts all the while believing
that it is not a subjective aesthetic experience we are having but an
experience that all who enjoy art must have when viewing the work.
Imagine those Homo
sapiens who experienced cave art for the first time. On a dark cold rainy day lighting has struck
a tree and started a fire. A prehistoric
family is passing and one of them picks up a burning
limb and with the family takes shelter in a nearby cave. Others bring wood and soon a warming fire
lights the cave. Of a sudden, one member
of the family stares at the cave wall in wonderment. Before him is a massive painting of a bull!
But only one member of
the family is amazed. The others go
about their business as if they cannot see anything strange and the family
member who is standing in awe shouting at the painting on the wall is all but
ignored.
It is not difficult for
us to look at a painting for the first time because we know paintings; we know
how to read them. There are things about
paintings we expect to see but our caveman doesn’t have this knowledge or
expectation. The bull is not on the wall
but in the wall; it is not confused with a bull in the forest but it somehow
has a life of its own.
So what makes a great
work of art? I know it sounds like a cop
out but, like our caveman, you have to see it for yourself. Great art is like a locked door that will
only be noticed by those who can open it.
You will have to look at a lot of art works before you notice that
door. Art books are helpful but they
cannot expose a great work of art. What
is great about a painting is lost in a photograph.
I sometimes think those
who worry about where art is headed, what with those popular young artist who
seem to be mocking art and the vast sums being paid for their works, have never
truly recognized the greatness of an art work.
Imagine a world of colour blind people and born into this word are some
who have what we would call normal colour vision. Those who have normal colour vision are able
to see what most others cannot see; they will use language in way that others
do not. The majority of peoples in this
world will describe those with normal colour vision as mistaken; as eccentric and
unreliable and this will continue until the majority of people are forced to
recognize that these seemingly eccentric people can do something the others
cannot do.
In every generation
there will be some who, on walking into lighted room, will see the greatness of
art for the first time. Our great works
of art secure art; greatness will not be lost.
Launt Thompson
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