The following video is the first part of 6 in a BBC special hosted by philosopher Roger Scruton on Beauty, the contemporary world’s apparent rejection of it, and the imminent need for its return. Personally, I am not completely convinced of all his points, but the general arc is salient and thought provoking. I certainly believe capital “B” Beauty is necessary, but Scruton’s Kantian and Neo-Platonism are limiting; these under gird a beauty that exists only in its idealism. To my understanding, the idealistic in beauty (though surely not to be excluded only eschewed as the only end) resulted in the 20th Century’s rejection of that capital “B” Beauty which he vehemently shuns. We often forget that capital “B” Beauty can be found in “ashes and dust, blood and bodies” as well as broken bread and a creation that includes its brokenness. After all, as believers, are we not to find the ultimate Beauty as Christ’s most ghastly sacrifice: macabre, despairing, and gruesome (not in spite of it but because of it)? Still, the essay will stir us to think and there exists plenty in it that speaks to truth and is worth fighting for.
Engaging Culture with Culture Through Acts of Creative Excellence
Request for Help
You may be aware of our recent affiliation with InternationalArtsMovement (IAM). IAM is a global community of artists and creative catalysts—people who take an active part in engaging with the arts and believe that the arts play a vital role in human flourishing. This community was founded over 20 years ago by painter, author & philosopher MakotoFujimura. We are excited about this affiliation.
In February 2012, IAM is holding a small, by-invitation-only gathering for catalysts in the “art/faith/humanity” spheres gathering throughout the world, and the Continuum has been invited to join this gathering. We have elected to send Kent Smith as our representative. For three (cold!) days, he and others will be gathering in IAM’s gallery in midtown Manhattan and meeting with the staff of International Arts Movement. This will be a vital time for us to build our relationships with one another in the movement, to learn more about the future of the movement, to contribute our input, ideas, experiences, and expertise to the shape of the movement, and to be more deeply equipped and resourced as we receive information on the programs and resources IAM produces.
IAM has raised funding for two nights of housing and three days of meals, but we have to cover Kent’s travel costs to NYC. I am writing to see if you would be willing to help underwrite the $500 in travel costs to attend this important gathering.
As IAM is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization, any donations made are tax-deductible. If you would like to support Kent & the Continuum’s participation, you may do it one of two ways:
- Mail a check made payable to International Arts Movement, 38 W. 39th St, 3rd FL, New York, NY 10018. Include a note that your gift is to be applied toward the “2012 IAM Catalysts Summit” and include Kent’s name (Kent Smith).
- Make an online donation. Click here and enter your donation amount under “General Donation.” Once you click “Add to Cart,” you will be able to leave a “note,” where you may designate “2012 IAM Catalysts Summit” and include Kent’s name.
IAM will reimburse Kent’s travel expenses based on donations received. (Any gifts beyond his travel costs will be used to support this regional gathering and the movement as a whole.)
This opportunity is something that will add tremendous value to our work on behalf of artists and the arts, and I am grateful the Continuum will be a part of it. Your donation will really help make that possible.
Continuum Cinema Series: Certified Copy
“This story bristles with ideas and intelligence, and the more you stick with it, the more complicated it gets.”
—Andrew O’ Hehir
“I can’t say that I understand everything Kiarostami has to tell me about life, art, romance, and tradition,…at least not consciously, but I know I feel haunted, elated, enriched by his wily and impassioned view of relationships as bodies in constant flux, of disagreement and individuality, and of the transformative power of a simple, sincerely felt timeout in a moment of bitter crisis…”
—Ed Gonzalez
Continue reading “Continuum Cinema Series: Certified Copy” »
Documentary: “PressPausePlay”
PressPausePlay from House of Radon on Vimeo.
A powerful movie asking important questions about the digitization and democratization of art.
The Hidden Legacy of Helen Frankenthaler
“The artist’s central dogma was beauty, and beauty is protean.”
The painter Helen Frankenthaler died December 27, 2011, in Darien, Connecticut. Obituaries by The New York Times and The Washington Post construe Frankenthaler’s importance as the inventor of a “revolutionary” soak-stain technique in which poured paint unites with the canvas; a method which made possible the Color Field movement. Continue reading “The Hidden Legacy of Helen Frankenthaler” »
Christ as Sign
This is an excerpt from the book “The Beauty of the Infinite: The Aesthetics of Christian Truth” by David Bentley Hart:
…The incarnation is the Father’s supreme rhetorical gesture, in which all he says in creation is given its perfect emphasis. Continue reading “Christ as Sign” »
The Continuum Is Now An Official IAM Affilate
The International Arts Movement (IAM) is an organization based in New York City; it was founded by the acclaimed artist Makoto Fujimura. IAM is, according to its website, “a cultural movement dedicated to inspiring all people to engage their culture to create a more good and beautiful world.” Continue reading “The Continuum Is Now An Official IAM Affilate” »
Jim Allman Nominated for 2011 Pushcart Prize
Continuum Fellow, Jim Allman, was recently announced as a Pushcart Nominee by the Los Angeles Review for his poem published in Issue 10, titled “Corpus Delicti”. This is Jim’s second nomination for the prestigious Pushcart.
Continue reading “Jim Allman Nominated for 2011 Pushcart Prize” »
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