Magic Realism
lake
religion has usually got its big nose in there too, being as it is, the
official advocate of magic.
But what is magic really - is it just tomfoolery, or does it have some
importance? And what does it have to do with painting? I'd appreciate a
few opinions.
Lake
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christopher moss
magic realism was a loosely knit group of painters thrown into the same
group by critics and historians who seem to enjoy this sort of thing.
(witness past attempts to group such wide ranging artists as miro,
dali, tanguy, bretton etc. as surrealists). I use this example
specifically because the "magic realists" were in effect a rehashing of
surrealist ideas.
-cm
Erik A. Mattila
I doubt this very much, Christopher. Magic Realism has a pretty specific
agenda that is quite unlike surrealism. It places fantasy, magic and
fairytales in the everyday, humdrum mode of existence. A Magic Realist,
in ordet to pull it off, has to be very subtle. It's as if you can only
let the magic enhance the background, and it should never appear unnatural
and it must not be allowed to dominate the narrative or painting.
Surrealism, on the other hand, focuses full-bore on irrationality. It's
not concerned at all with underplaying the hand of the imagination.
Check out the Ruy Guerra film "Erendira" from you video store, and watch
how the magic is underplayed throughout this adaptation of an episode from
"A Hundred Years of Solitude."
Erik Mattila
Tomi Holmberg
lake <lakeNO...@plateautel.net.invalid> wrote:
> There has always been a relation between painting and magic. Of
course,
> religion has usually got its big nose in there too, being as it is,
the
> official advocate of magic.
>
> But what is magic really - is it just tomfoolery, or does it have some
> importance? And what does it have to do with painting? I'd appreciate
a
> few opinions.
A quote from Aleister Crowley's (who is one of the leading authority
concerning magick) book:
"Magic is the Highest, most Absolute, and most Divine Knowledge of
Natural Philosophy, advanced in its works and wonderful operations by a
right understanding of the inward and occult virtue of things; so that
true Agents being applied to proper Patients, strange and admirable
effects will thereby be produced. Whence magicians are profound and
diligent searchers into Nature; they, because of their skill, know how
to anticipate an effect, the which to the vulgar shall seem to be a
miracle." which basicly means "to cause things happen with thought".
I believe that when we talk about subconscious factors in painting like
action painting, dream influenced surrealism, sublime (colorfieldists)
visionary, prophecy, and such - we deal with things that have come from
either inside or outside of the human intellect to bring some
underlaying things/messages upon our art. As Friedensreich
Hundertwasser once said: "artist is modern times priest." :) of course,
you have to be aware that there are many, many artists who are more
into business than art.
thus, we see that the role of individuality is very important in art.
personally, i'd say that to keep art "fine", you have to be able to
channel deeper issues to your art. if a abstract painting have the
form, colors, and design - it's nothing but a illustration.
"know the artist and you'll know the work."
-tomi
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Before you buy.
lake
That's what I was getting at. But often we're more like crazy sufis, or
witch-doctors, than sober, black-clad priests. Still, there's something
decidedly strange in people hanging original paintings on their walls.
It's a sort of communion, wouldn't you say? Not entirely unrelated to
voodoo?
-Lake