An Endeavour To Understand Art

From the beginning of time the realm of art has had and has a unique and strategic place and purpose both in time and space. There is no discipline (pun intended) besides art that contains the seed of eternity. Though eternity is boundless, it is also contained within the bounds of time. The unveiling of the mysterious connection between art and eternity is the essence of my endeavour. Art ( in the true sense of the word) is the exhaustive way to get to the truth. The relationship between art and speed (time) is extremely intimate and inter-dependent. The more the art involved, the more effective the method. In the process of practicing art the concept of ‘time’ changes. Art is the tool that redeems/reduces time. Art is the way of translating all theory into practice and vice versa. Art involves/engages skill, tact and strategy but the source of its power is too enormous for instant comprehension. With the passage of time, art through art has been gradually entering into it’s actual position and function in the fullness of it. The missing pieces of art are falling into place through the genuine practice of art. For all these centuries art has been breaking the borders that confine it. Every limitation imposed upon it was overcome. However through the demolition of these walls like a growing organism that has attained maturity, it is now discovering it’s actual walls that pre-existed long before and far beyond the imposed walls that had stunted it’s true image.
The opportunity for art to attain the fullness of its potential lies in the realm of warfare. It is here that art determines the total victory of one of the sides engaged in warfare. However it is only at the end of this entity called ‘time’ that the absolute victory will be known and announced as the ultimate.
When the practice of art can be fully translated into the theory of art and the theory into practice, this is when it can be said with surety that art has identified those pre-existing walls that marked out it’s position, shape, structure and function long before art came to life.
Interestingly, the success of an artistic endeavour is far too intimately connected with the motive behind it to escape the power of the intention. It is the source of the motive that determines whether the work is going to last or perish. One can deceive himself/herself for a while but will ultimately be found out embarrassingly often by his/her own words and actions. Someone has truly uttered that there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed.
Anything that is all inclusive loses it’s meaning, purpose……. Its very identity. Art has become all inclusive at the cost of diffusing its focus. It is difficult to determine whether art at its current state rejoices or pines over what it has forsaken in order to gain its current status. It is hard to say if Art in its true sense today is in a survival mode or a thriving ascent. Is there any sort of unity/collaboration in purpose and direction in artistic movements both locally and globally? (Here I am not referring to physical, emotional, intellectual events as much as I am targeting the spirit behind these faculties.)
What is it that really turns practice into art? Every practice contains an element of art ….yet practice just seems like a blueprint that is laid out for art to cover. Art definitely attains its purity through the impurity of practice, yet it needs to be fuelled and fed through various other resources. It needs to understand what it really needs. Since in any practice ‘time’ is of the essence, art becomes an uncompromising element to truly succeed. What then does art really consist of ? Apart from a strong desire to succeed it requires a violent resistance and a death to anything and everything that could come in its way. More importantly it requires a sobriety that becomes functional only after a certain degree of maturity is attained. Art in primarily engaged with the process and never with the product, ironically it is the products that are called works of art. The products definitely initiate other processes/practices that carry another facet of art (or at least the seed of it) but never contain the seed in themselves.
At this juncture I am reminded of the art of living courses that have become so popular. Personally I would like to attempt to understand Life and art as they are and just watch how art reveals Life to me and Life reveals art as is currently happening before my eyes. As I look back I realize that Life has constantly given me chances and opportunities to understand it. The opportunities that I have ceased have given me much but those that I have missed have brought about loses that I am perhaps permitted to not fully understand as might perish because of the intensity of it. The more I understand what I have ceased the more I see what I have missed. Perhaps this is what keeps me in check. I can neither become too arrogant nor too dejected.
I am always glad when Life reveals to me that I have a choice. The sense of responsibility that this revelation brings about is perhaps what causes me to make the right choice. I have come to realize that no amount of experience, head knowledge or passion can do to and within me what a revelation does. The permanence of the effect of a revelation is so intense that even my will cannot undo it. This is when I am totally convinced that I have gained victory because even if I want to I cannot undo what has been done.
This gives me hope because I begin to see that I do not need to push things with physical effort to see results. Though physical effort may play a role in getting a revelation, it is hardly ever with this sole intention that the effort is made. If I can recognize and catch a revelation, I know that I am not the same person anymore.
It is in revelation that Art finds its ordained place and function. Outside of it Art will never reach its full potential but rather be misused and abused to its ultimate capacity.
For a long time Art has been trying to find its meaning and purpose in itself. The autonomy that it claims is perhaps its deepest self-deception.
Art offers opportunities for refinement, for purging and purification if only one will yield to its true purpose.
Art has its limitations and recognizing its limitations is what will give it unlimited potential.


Neha Jiandani
14th April 2009
Final Year Project