I mentioned earlier that science is built on the shoulders of giants. Along those lines, I think the most important thing to an artist - aside from what he creates, of course - is what he draws from. When I contemplate my aesthetic values, I often ask myself: What do I love? What do I admire? What is it that makes me want to create? What is it about that thing that makes me want to create? A diversity of influences is something that's always been important to me; I think that the best way to create something original - the best way to keep from rearticulating ideas that I respect - is to maintain a diverse pool of inspiration to draw from. As such, it's difficult for me to say, "This is the piece of art that has inspired me the most. This is what drives my creative process." I could easily name one hundred songs, images, poems, and books that have been equally impactive in my life.
That having been said, lately I've been really fascinated with James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. At heart, it's a coming of age novel - the story of Stephen Dedalus' journey towards an aesthetic awakening. Dedalus is repressed by religious guilt, and weary of Irish politics and nationalism; he believes that all of these factors weighing down on his mind repress him artistically, and he wishes to be free of their binds. Not only does Joyce do a brilliant job in his exploration of the religious guilt and political weariness that permeates Dedalus' existence, Joyce also takes the traditional coming of age type novel and explodes its form, pushing the very boundaries of what literature can be - something that hadn't been done to such an extent before 1916, the time of the novel's publication. A Portrait of the Artist is one of the most beautiful and powerful novels I've ever read, with extremely profound implications, especially in regards to aesthetic philosophy and to Joyce's consideration of the Roman Catholic faith.
That having been said, lately I've been really fascinated with James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. At heart, it's a coming of age novel - the story of Stephen Dedalus' journey towards an aesthetic awakening. Dedalus is repressed by religious guilt, and weary of Irish politics and nationalism; he believes that all of these factors weighing down on his mind repress him artistically, and he wishes to be free of their binds. Not only does Joyce do a brilliant job in his exploration of the religious guilt and political weariness that permeates Dedalus' existence, Joyce also takes the traditional coming of age type novel and explodes its form, pushing the very boundaries of what literature can be - something that hadn't been done to such an extent before 1916, the time of the novel's publication. A Portrait of the Artist is one of the most beautiful and powerful novels I've ever read, with extremely profound implications, especially in regards to aesthetic philosophy and to Joyce's consideration of the Roman Catholic faith.
2 comments:
An interesting interpretation of the novel. I've never read it, but I can tell you're very astute in what you read and create.
thank you. if you have time, you should definitely read it. it's very good.
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