Zahradní atelier / Garden studio - Dvorek v Hodoníně / Courtyard in Hodonin
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Pavel Smutný – Jiří Škodák:Spiritual art – way or target? |
With the following text the authors want to respond to concept and contents obscurity in the region of (contemporary) spiritual art. As a key for this problem they consider the necessity of more profound investigation of the genuine term spiritual, the general results of which is to apply when considering concrete works of art.
View of the painter and theologianThe word spirit evolved from the original word breath (revitalizing breath). The base of the word dheno coheres with the Greek God denotation Theos. By spirit we understand thinking human consciousness. It is possible to comprehend it as a live spirit which brings new ideas – as an inventor or a researcher. We also speak of human spiritual properties by which we understand not only the artistic and intellectual gift, but also the ability of imagination which are connected with them. By mental human abilities we understand the ability of an individual to judge ponder a definite activity and to this is needed the already mentioned imagination. In connection with the term spiritual we mostly speak of religion, of matters concerning ecclesiastic or better church framework – to this belong spiritual songs, spiritual paintings, but also holy orders as a profession and function. Earthly existence of man essentially brings with itself a constant agitation which is contingent on the desire of come – back. This desire is inseparably connected with searching for the actual goal and that is a task which requires spiritual effort, responsibility of awareness for every expression, have control of oneself and wisdom in leading, the fruit of which is to meet with real freedom in the world of means that in this understanding lead to the goal. Man as a individual is an individual structure into which we include all that man is and what he becomes through his activities and all the significance of his existence. Every individual quantitatively qualifies out of matter – the form modifies matter to the specific purpose of being. The form in man is spirit and therefore a rational way of existence gives particular perfection to man – man is not only an individual but a personality as well, and that an ontological personality which may develop into a moral personality, artistic personality or a personality noted for further kinds of activities and abilities. Likewise the intellectual mode of a personality is determined by form. Spirit in man is actus as a determining principle of human personality. Therefore the intrinsic spiritual activity reveals in man a spiritual principle of its own, which as an actus is capable of penetrating the cores of things and understand them and their sense, because all determinations in a thing which are given by a form, are a reflex of spirit and of its activity (as a regularity, consistence, direction to the goal). Man is and lives through spirit. Individual life is subject to activity (connection with the German verb konnen = can, wish or know) and even a relation to things and people, and therefore it can benefit or harm community, it can be realized in community and bring much good and benefaction in art and technology. In this connection it is necessary to mention the eros as a principle of human creativity. Every activity of man springs up from his substance. Therefrom come all sorts of activities to his satisfaction. Natural activity expresses in two ways: agere (ideas) – facere (acts). To create (agere) involves inner activity, facere (act) denotes an activity coming out of the object and the thing changing in some way and giving it an outer form. In art it is artistic creation. Man is naturally an active being, creative. It is natural that man loves activity and creativity, in him there is eros – that is natural inclination towards activity. Here we get to the question of the goal of human life and the means which lead to it. Every act and every art and decision has its goal to which it aims and which is naturally achievable. The goal of things is for human activity to attain well-being. Man seeks his appropriate well-being. None of the goals he desires and which he searches for with all his activity is ultimate: they are only the means to the higher and only out of them the best good can be the last goal (spirit-dheno-God-Jahve-tao). Such a goal can be only one and that both in individual good and through the whole human life. As a perfect good such can be denoted that we seek for itself, for its value. Every other is only a means to a more profound one. Aristotle denotes as the best good happiness, and with this all people agree. Man cannot wish more than that. We search for happiness for happiness itself, never for another other purpose. Other things as e.g. honor, excellence and delight man can choose for themselves, but because of imperfections and incompleteness in them we seek in them happiness itself. Thus they only are a means which is to take us to the goal. Those who keep sticking to them are cornered or they move in circulus vitiosus. According to its definition happiness is achieving of the ultimate good. It is self-sufficient not only in its own ego in which life is limited, but it requires community as well. And all that makes life desirable belongs there. Life is indicated not only with material shortage but above all with spiritual shortage. The good is by its character active, it inspires activity, tendency and desire in order that it may be achieved. It takes possession of the whole man and utilizes everything by what man lives. Free will presumes intellectual reasoning and judgement of reasoning for what man should decide. At the same time reason is not determined to only one possibility, it on the contrary finds out that there are more mediums towards goal achievement and hence even more of possible ways of behavior. Free act is not necessary, it is not forced, it is not determined by previous conditions. They can influence, but not force. Liberty consciousness means consciousness of spiritual power. It is a sign of ability to decide freely and to be responsible for one’s act. Will power is stronger than the power of passion, because it is spiritual. The real liberty is the property of will, to which belongs ability to love – to wish the good and enjoy it. The view of a composer and music scientist
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