Murmurations of Art

Mindflight is, above all, a site for artists.  I recently had a short discussion about what “Life is Art” means.  Being in a philosophical mood, I started thinking about it.  A fellow blogger and all around cool person, StreetPsychiatrist, said “just imagine if one could infuse art into the most mundane of activities… that would be something of a masterpiece.”

I agree!

I started thinking about all the ways art has been incorporated into daily life across times, across the globe.  I recalled aboriginal dot paintings that are beautiful but tell how to find water holes.  I thought about beaded bags and knife sheaths among the natives of the American Plains.  I thought about the delicate laquerware of old Japan, and the paintings on their paper room dividers.  I thought about the beautifully turned furniture of Victorian England.  I thought of murals in my own city.  I thought of tea ceremonies and singing during work.  Art has murmured throughout people’s lives since humans started walking across the savanna.

Art is everywhere.

It might be that today our art is mostly of the commercial kind.  A lot of thought goes into every plastic product that we use.  However, our disposable life often makes many (myself included) forget about the possibilities to incorporate just a little more art into our daily routine.

It’s easy for me, I’m an artist!  My instinct is to adorn.   I know not everyone is the same way, though.  What should a person do if they don’t feel like they have an artistic bone in their body but wants more art in their life anyway?

Plenty!  People can collect art, whether original or copy.  They can do something as simple as picking out a really inspiring wallpaper for their desktop.  A friend of mine has Van Gogh’s Starry Night as her tablet cover.  They can also collect beautiful things from bygone eras, where there was more care taken in design.  They can incorporate those things into their daily lives.  My mother collects hand painted china.  I have just started collecting antique pocket knives.  For me, restoring those old blades to a new life is another way of inviting art into my world.

Using older, more elegant or interesting items is not only fun, but it also helps reduce modern waste.  So, if you have time and inclination, why not haunt the second hand shops for that perfect blue glass canister to hold your spaghetti noodles in?  Or find a fine old wooden plate stand to support your tablet or phone?  Or learn to make art, some kind of art, to enliven your daily round?

Life is Art.  It’s also an adventure.  Adventure calls!

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via Daily Prompt: Murmuration