Near the end of the Cone Sisters exhibit at the Jewish Museum, one of Henri Matisse’s quotes stuck out to me. I had not thought about the utilization of color by comparing it with the creation of harmonies in musical composition before. Even though Matisse was simply comparing art and music in his statement, his main concept certainly applies to society, especially that of current-day New York City.
Independently, individuals have unique qualities that should not be dismissed. When combined properly, these qualities, according to Matisse, should shine even more brightly in a manner that neither detracts from nor overshadows the individual. Human lives were meant to compliment and contrast each other just as colors and harmonies. Furthermore, the human race was made to operate as one unit, with its effectiveness hinging on the “organization and construction” of its components. In other words, life can be a work of art. In other words, life can be a masterpiece.
“Colors have a beauty of their own which must be preserved, as one strives to preserve pure tones in music. It is a question of organization and construction that is sensitive to maintaining this beautiful freshness of color….What counts most with color are relationships….No doubt there are a thousand different ways of working with color. But when one composes with it, like a musician with harmonies, it is simply a question of emphasizing the differences.” – Henri Matisse, 1945
It is the rich tapestry of humanity with its distinct and varied threads that makes life interesting. It is unfortunate that there are so many loud and strident voices that constantly rail against those who are different. One wonders what they would do with their energy if the world was suddenly a homogeneous (how boring.)
The way I see it, art goes nowhere if you cannot apply it to the human condition. It just wouldn’t quite be art otherwise (or rather, I wouldn’t think it’s art otherwise, although someone might very well disagree). You turned Matisse’s quote into such a beautiful metaphor. Art really does respect the dignity of humankind, in that it makes room for difference. Heterogeneity in art is not threatening. On the contrary, that is how it thrives. I think applying that to humanity makes a very profound statement – it is precisely in our differences where we thrive. In that way, you’ve turned Matisse’s comment almost into a forward-thinking political statement (I hate to use the term, as I think it is rather course and unfitting given the context, but I could not think of a better way to word it). Art makes room for everything, as we have discovered in class – social commentary, commerce, etc – and that is what makes it so wonderfully special.
Thank you Karissa for remembering this quote. When reading your post, I couldn’t help but help think about the Romantic movement of the 18th century. The art of this movement were supposed to evoke strong emotions that should make the viewer feel a certain sublimity because of its untamed nature and picturesque qualities. The romantic paintings required a combination of strong colors, the proper lighting and other thought out details to fully evoke that sublime emotion. I thought of the romantic paintings because of the similar strong components that make up the world we live in today. It is because we have this natural harmony of people with different cultures and histories that we live in one of the greatest cities in the world.
I agree that if everything stuck to its borders, and everyone was the same, we would live in a very boring world. It is sometimes the contrast in flavors that bring out the best flavors in a dish. At the beginning of the semester I made a post about Damien Hirst that spoke about his odd pairing of science and art in his new pieces. It showcased how when separate, ideas can be one dimensional, but when combined, magic can be made.
It is because we can appreciate the gamelan music from Indonesia, Don Giovanni from 18th century Italy, and The Bald Soprano from Paris, that New York is known as the great melting pot of cultures. It is with a great coalescence of ideas, thoughts, and any other form of personal expression that art thrives. Art allows everything to be contained in it, which gives this feeling of sublimity. This capability to contain so much is what allows art in any form stand the test of times. If art would only contain one form, then it would only be able to find an affinity to a small group of people. But by allowing art to be comprised of anything that comes to one’s mind is what connects the world we live in. It is with the combination of all these arts that we have this feeling of the sublime when looking back at all that we have experienced. New York is not monochromatic, but rather filled with a blend of different colors, fit so perfectly to produce a land like no other. The city itself evokes a feeling that attracts the foreigner and traps the tourist; it is the natural sublimity that is felt nowhere else that makes where we live New York City.