From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Mon Mar 15 2004 - 21:20:42 GMT
Hi Wim,
> Dear Platt,
>
> I have never been much aware of 'Quaker aesthetics'. I guess it rhymed with
> my Calvinist background when I got to know Quakers, so I never needed to
> become much aware of it as a change of perspective.
What I had in mind were the artifacts of Quaker-Shaker life here in the U.S.
such as chairs, chests, baskets, barns, buildings etc. which exhibit a
distinctive aesthetic style marked by harmony, elegance and simplicity.
> Quakers have a history of denial of the Arts as distracting from God and
> godly activities. This started as a protest against excess and ostentatious
> superfluity and developed into a 'testimony of simplicity'. According to
> some out of it grew a sense for a sober beauty. Nowadays we view the Arts
> as a manifestation of rather than as a distraction from God, but the
> inclination to simplicity stays.
"Simplicity" is indeed the mark of the Quaker style, widely imitated by
modernists. I like your phrase "manifestation of God" because I believe
great art to be a "manifestation of Dynamic Quality." I know it's
misleading to connect God and DQ, but sometimes I just can't help myself.
:-)
Regards,
Platt
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