and then later: November 2013

"We are living through a slow motion apocalypse. The tumultuous destruction of biblical prophecy and Hollywood disaster movies has given way to the slow boil of global warming where every moment of every day may be a prelude to disaster."

"This pervasive sense of doom has in part prompted a revival in contemporary art of the core themes of western art: the landscape, nature and human survival."

"Yet with the slow disasters of our time, this surge of work reminds us that contemporary art has a role to play in making sense of the world, and to do it by reviving the core belief of western art: we must be humble in the face of nature and recognise its importance to our survival."

i went to the berlinische galerie today and it blew my mind. franz ackermann, hans richter, tristan tzara, egon schiele, gustav klimt and hannah höch were six of many artists featured in the gallery's currently showing exhibitions. it sounds cliché and corny to say this, but i was absolutely overcome with inspiration. i put my phone away throughout my hours of perusing of the gallery space, so as to take as much in as i possibly could. (and so there are no photos of inside the gallery to show you, sorry). but there is an infinite amalgam of colours, shapes and words still circulating my mind in need of absorption and interpretation, so i can guarantee some more creatively engineered posts will come. it was a much needed trip of creative nourishment, so thank you, berlin.

those quotes above, about art and the apocalyptic state of the modern world, are taken from an article i read yesterday, by andrew frost. the link is at the end of this post. it's easy, and a lot of the time necessary, to doubt the purpose of art. you can choose to think of art simply as visual stimulation and entertainment, which is an absolutely valid way of thinking. because if we aren't enjoying art or being entertained by it then we most likely won't remember it. but you can also think of art as a means of finding perspective - whether it be discovering your own or someone else's, such as the artist's. either way, perspective is important. perspective is vital. perspective is individual. perspective is a form of art in and of itself. perspective is what builds people into great thinkers and makers and helpers. no matter which religion, philosophy or scientific theory you believe in and live by, you would deny it if someone stated that this world was built on one, and only one, perspective. it was, and continues to be, built by hundreds, thousands, millions of different people. whether we notice it's happening or not, we are most definitely affected by others' minds every single day; on tv, in movies, on the train, on billboards, in supermarkets, in architecture and of course, by interacting with other people. the processes of talking and listening isn't always oral/aural; conversation happens in all ways, shapes and forms. so, while the world may be melting under the effects of climate change, let's not stop the conversation. keep talking, listening, arguing, inspiring, observing, writing, singing, dancing, painting, cutting, pasting, creating and moving. there's no more time to stand still and simply wait for the world to end.

article: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/nov/07/shoufay-derz-artereal-review

artworks: 1 & 2 by egon schiele, 3 & 4 by hannah höch, 5 by franz ackermann