August 10, 2004

  • So I was talking to Heather (don't get confused, I know too many Heathers) and she introduced me to some art by the talented Jory Dayne. It got me thinking, and as we all know that is dangerous.

    I think inside every artist there are these two inner forces at work- the sensual and the spiritual. I'm not sure that sensual is the right word- maybe carnal is better, but for now I'll stick with sensual. Creating art is a very sensual thing. It is about beauty, often raw. It is life, it is nature, it is expression, it is pleasure of the senses. Artists are drawn to it. But creating art is also a very spiritual thing. It is holy, sacred, personal. It is an expression of spirit, communication on a higher plane, and joy to the soul.

    Sensual. Spiritual.
    Pleasure. Joy.

    Though they sound similar, they are most definatley different, distinct, separate.

    But are these forces opposing?

    I'm not sure, but I do know that I struggle to find a balance between the two within me.
    Sensual.
    Spiritual. (links are my artwork, colored pencil)

    As a High School artist, I did a lot of spiritual art work. For AP I did 12 pieces on revelation. It was a remarkable experience. I loved it. It made me happy. I want to continue it, to paint angels forever, to paint in churches and in temples. (and be worthy of the Temple)

    But I am becoming a college student in the field. By going to BYU I somewhat control my exposure to the sensual. At the Art Institue of Boston I no doubt would have faced more carnal, raw . . . art all the time. (this was not the determining factor between schools) But I can't avoid this lure. There is beauty in it. And it is part of the artist. Utah can not change that. Jory Dayne is serving a mission, and yet his art is still somewhere between the two forces, clearly influenced by both the sensual and the spiritual (these two links are the work of Jory Dayne from his website www.jorydayne.com)

    Perhaps the sensual is not wrong. What do you think? The body is a temple of itself. It is the image of God- could it be any more beautiful? So can it be wrong to give such beauty expression in art however raw? Ahhh! The struggle rages onwards.

    One thing I know. God lives. I want my art work, no matter how secular, to always honor God. To always please him. It is my purest form of worship. Does that make it the more enticing for Satan to pervert?

    (Links to my artwork Here)

Comments (11)

  • I think you may be trying to say that art appeals to two sides of us; does it please us? Or does it lift up our Father? Can it do both? Can it please us more and still please the Father? I don't know. We both know it is raw forms of emotion, raw forms of concepts and imagery that we see in our minds, and cannot place into words. For me, I cannot do that. My outlet is my writing, and I struggle every entry to form the words that would best describe the concepts and images flowing through my mind, the raw emotions that burn in my soul. I am envious of you, for your artistic talents. To me, I see visual art as a much freer, much less limiting form of expressing oneself. I wish I could sweep my hand across a page and paint the feelings of my soul... I wish I could scribble in specific ways and create masterpieces that reflect the thoughts of my mind.

    Regardless of whether or not art is sensual or spiritual, I think we can easily agree that it is one of the least confining forms of art. At least, that's my opinion. Ya've got a talent, and that's something I hope you never lose. Keep making your art, man.

  • Wow, I just looked at all of your art pieces and I am thoroughly impressed.  "Blessing" and "Hosanna: Parting of the Veil" were both beautiful ... the rest of them were, too, those two just stuck out for me.  Thank you for sharing the talents with which you have been blessed with others!  (And, on a side note, I was *this* close to going to school in Boston, too, but I know that BYU is where I need to be!)

  • Woah, hey, wait... you have a .mac account. Are you a Mac user?! Rock on if you are!

  • I am a mac user because mac is superior

  • thoroughly enjoyed the entry. thanks.

  • WOW youre talented!! i loved "3 degrees" and "hosanna: parting the veil"!! GORGEOUS!

  • Mac is superior...but Gateway is my computer-ior for the moment so i'll take it :) . 

    btw, you're much more of a good artist while i'm kind of a...flamboyant artist and things come out quite random, your stuff is better and more thoughtout...i say things have meanings AFTER it kinda shows up on the canvas. 

  • I go to BYU. Have you taken a class with Wulf? We would discuss all that kind of stuff. He was so easy to get off topic.  I just wrote a whole big comment to you but it got erased. Wish I could put all my thoughts down.

  • Dan, you are such a wonderful guy, I can't wait to see you again at school!  Just awesome.

  • Now I'm really curious about what Wulf has to say! *yells at computer for deleting your comment*

  • Crazy crazy! The thin line between sensual and spiritual art is something ive been treading very carefully lately. (Although let me just say that "beamiest" is just trashy -- drawn for a pinup ;) )

    I think in terms of figure drawing that line almost gets blurred to the point of non existence -- I find almost all well rendered figure drawings, even nudes*, sensual: the body is so beautiful, so raw, so... well, sensual -- but at the same time I find almost all well rendered fingure drawings spiritual: the human form is sublime, dazzling in its complexity, and the ultimate work of art of God.

    *Let me amend that: especially nudes

    What deliniates the two, I find, is the intent of the artist -- you can tell when an artist is paying homage or just paying the bills. Are they explaining the human form (with light and shadow and line) or just exploiting it (with that same vocabulary)? Thats what you have to look at.

    When you create a peice of art that merges these two aspects well (sensuality and spiritulaity), I think thats when you greate a really amazing work of art.

    And I think you are on the right track -- those two forces do not have to oppose one another. If anything, when done correctly, they complement one another. Both have their extremes: spiritual smaltzy, and sensual smutty -- so you really want to make sure you know where you're at on those scales, but I think the two can coexist quite beautifully.

    -jory

Comments are closed.

Post a Comment