Art unto death

Much of what we have come to understand to be “art”, in this day-and-age, is somewhat confused. At least this has been my sentiment over the last few years as I have dedicated myself to the act of making art, namely paintings, sculptures, and videos. Lots of folks have different ideas as to what is art, and what is not; the artistic “elite” think one thing, which usually has to do with whether something is more conceptually well rounded; and the view point of the “layman” seems to be more concerned with how something looks, and whether there has been masterful skill involved.

What I hope to do in this paper is to help raise some of these questions as to the nature of art, both from the standpoint of an artist, and as a human being merely thinking about it. I wish to tease out the characteristics of art and its making, so as to create a more holistic and universal picture of what art is. Some of the ways I will do this is by looking at the subject through the eyes of art history, philosophy, theology, literature, and science. I explore the idea that all creative acts may ultimately point us back to our own mortality and finitude.