专业英语阅读资料 03.docx
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专业英语阅读资料03
ConcerningtheSpiritualinArt
PART1:
ABOUTGENERALAESTHETIC
KANDINSKY'SINTRODUCTION
Everyworkofartisthechildofitsageand,inmanycases,the
motherofouremotions.Itfollowsthateachperiodofculture
producesanartofitsownwhichcanneverberepeated.Efforts
torevivetheart-principlesofthepastwillatbestproducean
artthatisstill-born.Itisimpossibleforustoliveandfeel,
asdidtheancientGreeks.Inthesamewaythosewhostriveto
followtheGreekmethodsinsculptureachieveonlyasimilarity
ofform,theworkremainingsoullessforalltime.Suchimitation
ismereaping.Externallythemonkeycompletelyresemblesa
humanbeing;hewillsitholdingabookinfrontofhisnose,and
turnoverthepageswithathoughtfulaspect,buthisactionshave
forhimnorealmeaning.
Thereis,however,inartanotherkindofexternalsimilarity
whichisfoundedonafundamentaltruth.Whenthereisa
similarityofinnertendencyinthewholemoralandspiritual
atmosphere,asimilarityofideals,atfirstcloselypursuedbut
laterlosttosight,asimilarityintheinnerfeelingofanyone
periodtothatofanother,thelogicalresultwillbearevival
oftheexternalformswhichservedtoexpressthoseinner
feelingsinanearlierage.Anexampleofthistodayisour
sympathy,ourspiritualrelationship,withthePrimitives.Like
ourselves,theseartistssoughttoexpressintheirworkonly
internaltruths,renouncinginconsequenceallconsiderationof
externalform.
Thisall-importantsparkofinnerlifetodayisatpresentonlya
spark.Ourminds,whichareevennowonlyjustawakeningafter
yearsofmaterialism,areinfectedwiththedespairofunbelief,
oflackofpurposeandideal.Thenightmareofmaterialism,which
hasturnedthelifeoftheuniverseintoanevil,uselessgame,
isnotyetpast;itholdstheawakeningsoulstillinitsgrip.
Onlyafeeblelightglimmerslikeatinystarinavastgulfof
darkness.Thisfeeblelightisbutapresentiment,andthesoul,
whenitseesit,tremblesindoubtwhetherthelightisnota
dream,andthegulfofdarknessreality.Thisdoubt,andthe
stillharshtyrannyofthematerialisticphilosophy,divideour
soulsharplyfromthatofthePrimitives.Oursoulringscracked
whenweseektoplayuponit,asdoesacostlyvase,longburied
intheearth,whichisfoundtohaveaflawwhenitisdugup
oncemore.Forthisreason,thePrimitivephase,throughwhichwe
arenowpassing,withitstemporarysimilarityofform,canonly
beofshortduration.
Thesetwopossibleresemblancesbetweentheartformsoftoday
andthoseofthepastwillbeatoncerecognizedasdiametrically
opposedtooneanother.Thefirst,beingpurelyexternal,hasno
future.Thesecond,beinginternal,containstheseedofthe
futurewithinitself.Aftertheperiodofmaterialisteffort,
whichheldthesoulincheckuntilitwasshakenoffasevil,the
soulisemerging,purgedbytrialsandsufferings.Shapeless
emotionssuchasfear,joy,grief,etc.,whichbelongedtothis
timeofeffort,willnolongergreatlyattracttheartist.Hewill
endeavortoawakesubtleremotions,asyetunnamed.Living
himselfacomplicatedandcomparativelysubtlelife,hiswork
willgivetothoseobserverscapableoffeelingthemlofty
emotionsbeyondthereachofwords.
Theobserveroftoday,however,isseldomcapableoffeeling
suchemotions.Heseeksinaworkofartamereimitationof
naturewhichcanservesomedefinitepurpose(forexamplea
portraitintheordinarysense)orapresentmentofnature
accordingtoacertainconvention("impressionist"painting),or
someinnerfeelingexpressedintermsofnaturalform(aswe
say--apicturewithStimmung)[Footnote:
Stimmungisalmost
untranslateable.Itisalmost"sentiment"inthebestsense,and
almost"feeling."ManyofCorot'stwilightlandscapesarefullofa
beautiful"Stimmung."Kandinskyusesthewordlaterontomean
the"essentialspirit"ofnature.--M.T.H.S.]Allthosevarietiesof
picture,whentheyarereallyart,fulfiltheirpurposeandfeed
thespirit.Thoughthisappliestothefirstcase,itappliesmore
stronglytothethird,wherethespectatordoesfeela
correspondingthrillinhimself.Suchharmonyorevencontrastof
emotioncannotbesuperficialorworthless;indeedtheStimmung
ofapicturecandeepenandpurifythatofthespectator.Such
worksofartatleastpreservethesoulfromcoarseness;they
"keyitup,"sotospeak,toacertainheight,asatuning-key
thestringsofamusicalinstrument.Butpurification,and
extensionindurationandsizeofthissympathyofsoul,remain
one-sided,andthepossibilitiesoftheinfluenceofartarenot
exertedtotheirutmost.
Imagineabuildingdividedintomanyrooms.Thebuildingmaybe
largeorsmall.Everywallofeveryroomiscoveredwithpictures
ofvarioussizes;perhapstheynumbermanythousands.They
representincolourbitsofnature--animalsinsunlightor
shadow,drinking,standinginwater,lyingonthegrass;nearto,
aCrucifixionbyapainterwhodoesnotbelieveinChrist;
flowers;humanfiguressitting,standing,walking;oftentheyare
naked;manynakedwomen,seenforeshortenedfrombehind;
applesandsilverdishes;portraitofCouncillorSoandSo;sunset;
ladyinred;flyingduck;portraitofLadyX;flyinggeese;ladyin
white;calvesinshadowfleckedwithbrilliantyellowsunlight;
portraitofPrinceY;ladyingreen.Allthisiscarefullyprintedina
book--nameofartist--nameofpicture.Peoplewiththesebooksin
theirhandsgofromwalltowall,turningoverpages,readingthe
names.Thentheygoaway,neitherrichernorpoorerthanwhen
theycame,andareabsorbedatonceintheirbusiness,whichhas
nothingtodowithart.Whydidtheycome?
Ineachpictureisa
wholelifetimeimprisoned,awholelifetimeoffears,doubts,
hopes,andjoys.
Whitheristhislifetimetending?
Whatisthemessageofthe
competentartist?
"Tosendlightintothedarknessofmen's
hearts--suchisthedutyoftheartist,"saidSchumann."An
artistisamanwhocandrawandpainteverything,"saidTolstoi.
Ofthesetwodefinitionsoftheartist'sactivitywemustchoose
thesecond,ifwethinkoftheexhibitionjustdescribed.Onone
canvasisahuddleofobjectspaintedwithvaryingdegreesof
skill,virtuosityandvigour,harshlyorsmoothly.Toharmonize
thewholeisthetaskofart.Withcoldeyesandindifferentmind
thespectatorsregardthework.Connoisseursadmirethe"skill"
(asoneadmiresatightropewalker),enjoythe"qualityof
painting"(asoneenjoysapasty).Buthungrysoulsgohungry
away.
Thevulgarherdstrollthroughtheroomsandpronouncethe
pictures"nice"or"splendid."Thosewhocouldspeakhavesaid
nothing,thosewhocouldhearhaveheardnothing.Thiscondition
ofartiscalled"artforart'ssake."Thisneglectofinnermeanings,
whichisthelifeofcolours,thisvainsquanderingofartisticpower
iscalled"artforart'ssake."
Theartistseeksformaterialrewardforhisdexterity,hispower
ofvisionandexperience.Hispurposebecomesthesatisfaction
ofvanityandgreed.Inplaceofthesteadyco-operationofartists
isascrambleforgoodthings.Therearecomplaintsofexcessive
competition,ofover-production.Hatred,partisanship,cliques,
jealousy,intriguesarethenaturalconsequencesofthisaimless,
materialistart.
[Footnote:
Thefewsolitaryexceptionsdonotdestroythetruth
ofthissadandominouspicture,andeventheseexceptionsare
chieflybelieversinthedoctrineofartforart'ssake.They
serve,therefore,ahigherideal,butonewhichisultimatelya
uselesswasteoftheirstrength.Externalbeautyisoneelement
ofaspiritualatmosphere.Butbeyondthispositivefact(that
whatisbeautifulisgood)ithastheweaknessofatalentnot
usedtothefull.(Thewordtalentisemployedinthebiblical
sense.)]
Theonlookerturnsawayfromtheartistwhohashigheridealsand
whocannotseehislifepurposeinanartwithoutaims.
Sympathyistheeducationofthespectatorfromthepointofview
oftheartist.Ithasbeensaidabovethatartisthechildof
itsage.Suchanartcanonlycreateanartisticfeelingwhichis
alreadyclearlyfelt.Thisart,whichhasnopowerforthe
future,whichisonlyachildoftheageandcannotbecomea
motherofthefuture,isabarrenart.Sheistransitoryandto
allintentdiesthemomenttheatmospherealterswhichnourished
her.
Theotherart,thatwhichiscapableofeducatingfurther,
springsequallyfromcontemporaryfeeling,butisatthesame
timenotonlyechoandmirrorofit,butalsohasadeepand
powerfulpropheticstrength.
Thespirituallife,towhichartbelongsandofwhichsheisone
ofthemightiestelements,isacomplicatedbutdefiniteand
easilydefinablemovementforwardsandupwards.This
movementisthemovementofexperience.Itmaytakedifferent
forms,butitholdsatbottomtothesameinnerthoughtand
purpose.
Veiledinobscurityarethecausesofthisneedtomoveever
upwardsandforwards,bysweatofthebrow,throughsufferings
andfears.Whenonestagehasbeenaccomplished,andmany
evilstonesclearedfromtheroad,someunseenandwickedhand
scattersnewobstaclesintheway,sothatthepathoftenseems
blockedandtotallyobliterated.Butthereneverfailstocometo
therescuesomehumanbeing,likeourselvesineverythingexcept
thathehasinhimasecretpowerofvision.
Heseesandpointstheway.Thepowertodothishewould
sometimesfainlayaside,foritisabittercrosstobear.But
hecannotdoso.Scornedandhated,hedragsafterhimoverthe
stonest