I distinguish between the ego-absent desire to participate in some
universal-essential truth from the egocentric desire to believe that it has
already happened.
It does seem that we all have a bit of both, but it's the ego-absent desire
that will drive whatever we accomplish of value, including the creation of
holy liturgies and places conducive to their contemplation.
Have you ever been around the children of professional intellectuals? Growing
up in a family world of endless debate, the kids tend to become precociously
(and often humorously) articulate -- and a collection of selected artifacts
can have the same effect on the artist who lives with them.
I think that's why artists like to collect stuff.
There was just a news item about one of Horn's contemporaries, Chaim Gross,
who lived with a large collection of African sculpture (his estate is now
selling it to fund the operation of his museum) Gross' sculpture was more
secular - but still I'm guessing that he was trying to have his work
participate in some universal, essential truth, and
the African sculpture helped him get there.
Perhaps this is something that Saul does not appreciate about great art.
It's universal, essential truth is not fully downloadable into the viewer's
mind. So the reason for collecting it is not just to flatter oneself, but to
repeatedly reach for what it has to offer.
Regarding liturgical art, regretfully, one of the "universal, essential
truths" that Karl Marx believed was that "Religion is the sigh of the
oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless
conditions. It is the opium of the people"
I don't know whether a Leninist like Saul would share that opinion, but if he
does, it might account for why he believes the faith of others to be
exclusively egocentric.
As the long-departed Kirby noted, it's really something of a cultural disaster
to have Marxists (or Leninists) ensconced in our cultural institutions because
their understanding of the human condition is so narrow.
And besides, they're just wasting their own time. They should out in the
factories trying to organize another revolution.
*************
>But, if you do insist on digressing , let us begin with your literal
minded-ness - In the abstract can you understand what the phrase the "desire
to believe itself to be universal" might refer to? (and please do not ask us
to explain this to you - its something youwillhave to work out yourself.) Can
you in turn guess at what the artist seeking the universal might look for in
the liturgical works of other cultures? Once having made some sense of this
, can you connect that understanding, to how those works might effect someone
who is attempting to create Jewish liturgical sculpture. From there imagine,
why such sculptures if truly an expression of that liturgy might appeal to
more than those Jews who are traditional enough to be interested in such
things?
just "think" Chris, reflect upon what might be the connection between his
collection and his ambition to create a liturgical art - mightn't his
audience of Jews within their worship desire to believe themsleves and their
faith participate in some universal- essential truth - or are you going to
tell me that Jews do not have this aspiration and therefore if an artist
sought to give expression to this vision no one but the Jews would be
interested in it
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