Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Enter with care...

sensitivity to symbolism can be harmful to your health.

Truth or myth?
Can art be meant to hurt?
Or is it fear that keeps one from seeing the truth.
Creativity knows no apology's. and there is no other than
"art with intention"

A painting that frightened me as a child like no other. Examined in secret like stolen pornography. Appalled then loved through heightened perception.



Hieronymus Bosch - The Garden from The Garden of Earthly Delights

Written for deviantART August 4, 2008

7 comments:

M.Ac said...

Interesting painting, may be not for a child.
I remember to be fascinated by Gaudi's architecture and Dalí's paintings. I am still fascinated of course.

They are simply different to any other thing.

Rosa said...

I remember I saw this painting too, when I was a child. I remember I had a nightmare after watching at it.I found it disturbing: I felt some kind of "pervesion"in it, even if I couldn't identify the source of that. Now, looking at it as an adult I can value it as a workart, maybe singular, but a workart. There is another painting which gave me an unpleasant feeling: "Saint'Augustin's temptations" by the same author.
I think there is a sort of empathy that let the watcher feel different feelings according to the painting observed. The more you are sensitive, the more you can feel that is the magic of Art! Art is the expression of human soul. For example, this painting makes me think of a tormented soul, distant from "Light".
Your post took me back in time...

Thanks for sharing this experience with us.

Rosa said...

Sorry, the other painting was "St.Antony's temptations". I don't know why it came to my mind St. Augustin, an important theologian and phylosopher...
Maybe my mind is wondering too far, in the philosophic field!! :))

diane said...

Migue and Rosa, thank you both so much for your insights!

Vesna said...

I haven't seen the painting before. It's completely crazy, as the art should be:)

zoe said...

bosch is fascinating....fortunately, i discovered him through the eyes of remedios varo, so my experience was tempered by certain things...

diane said...

Bosch was very religious fanatical actually. He spent his life putting the fear of God into people. These are allegories of what would happen to you in Hell if you broke the Ten Commandments, he tried to scare you straight. A very scary individual I think.

Thank you both!!