“ When I think of art I think of beauty . Beauty is the mystery of life . It is not in the eye , it is in the mind . In our minds there is awareness of perfection . It is our positive response to life .”
— Agnes Martin
FROM THE EDITOR
Beauty , in the world of contemporary art , often gets a bad rap . By coincidence , I was thinking about the role of beauty in art just as I was putting this issue together . As the articles came in , I was struck by how each artist in this issue takes on and addresses , in different ways , the concept of beauty in all its forms and inspirations . Sally Condon ’ s poignant words especially struck a chord with me and caused me to question my assumptions about the value of beauty . Lately I ’ m wondering if I too may have fallen prey to the notion that beauty in art usually equals banality .
An interesting lecture about aesthetics and the role of beauty in art echoes these sentiments . In A Promise of Happiness : The Place of Beauty in a World of Art , Alexander Nehamas concludes , beauty may depend on appearance , but this does not make it superficial .
I believe you will find this issue thought provoking . In light of the dearth of beauty evident most recently in our world , I hope that you will take pleasure in the beauty and in the intelligence behind the surface of the work featured . Times like these bring to mind this quote from Phil Ochs :
“ Ah , but in such an ugly time the true protest is beauty .”