Art moves us. Art makes us feel something. Can art be explained? Should art be explained? What is classified as "art"? Does it produce instant feelings in us, or do we need some kind of background knowledge in order to appreciate it?
I think for me the answers to these questions vary, and I don't have definitive answers. When we were at the Byzantine era monastery today, I couldn’t help but wish I knew more about icons, about liturgy and the life of a monk, about orthodoxy in general. When we were at Delphi, I wished I’d read up on my ancient Greek mythology.
But nonetheless, the spaces were powerful. Today, I saw two structures in the museum at Delphi that caught my eye. I still don’t really know what they were. One of their descriptions read, “The muses… provide the link between the deity and the world of arts and letters.” Reading this description made me further appreciate what I was viewing. The world of arts and letters… I like that description. Sometimes I feel like we live in the world of microwaves and Internet so it’s nice to see a little humanities reference- though clearly they must’ve had very extensive knowledge of math and science to build the sites at Delphi.
At the monastery, I was amazed by how the space just felt spiritual. It felt sacred and beautiful and quiet and reflective and inclusive. With that being said, hearing Dr. Ihssen explain the placement of Mary made me appreciate what I was viewing even more. It very much enhanced my experience to know that the monastery had been dedicated over 1000 years ago, as well.
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