The Art of the Future
The Art modes of the Future
By Geoffrey Hodson
With few exceptions, the modern artists strive too much, are over-active mentally and are, so to speak, bite with the desire to be new and original. This is due in part to the new life, which is breaking free, the new level of consciousness, which the race is tapping, both of which demand new forms of self-expression. Yet these forms will be best discovered through natural methods, an easy evolution, a normal growth.
Art, through the ages, is a study, which awaits the appropriate student; it reveals the spiral ascent of man’s power to make manifest the beautiful, the cyclic growth of perception and technique. The beginning was in old Lemuria, when the Venusians came and gave the magic gift of mind to man, it developed all through Atlantis, whose relics to-day we find in Peru and elsewhere; it blossomed into Mongolian, Indian and Persian art, with Egypt gradually developing a school of its own, slowly becoming the cultural center of the world.
Then, in Greece, came the gradual growth of European art stimulated by Orpheus - startling and new, the wonder of the world. From there it spread forth the Etruscan and other Mediterranean civilizations, though in the remains of Atlantis, in Ireland and the far North, ancient types were still maintained. So on down to the present day, through successive historic periods, art has grown. And now the birth of a new beauty is imminent, the emergence of a technique, which later will prove as startling and new as did that of Greece in Egyptian eyes.
The link between the intuition and the emotions is very close. Greek art sprang from the heart. The new art will be intuitive; it will express a far higher perception of truth, a deeper knowledge of the Supreme as beauty. Yet these two are allied, and the great artists of Greece will incarnate – even now are doing so - to initiate the Renaissance of this age, which is in a cyclic relationship with the age of Greece. The new art will be definitely occult, mystic and spiritual. The new artists will feel continually towards formlessness. A new symbolism will arise, consisting less of outlines or clear-cut forms, than of ideations, color combinations, and the like.
The plan includes a steady infusion of occult ideas into artists’ minds, an awakening of a deeper mysticism, a m ore rational conception of metaphysical truths, so that the gradually awakening higher consciousness m ay be assisted in its physical expression by the possession of know ledge of the plan. This is the Third Ray aspect of the work of the followers of the Ancient Wisdom - 'its cultural manifestation which must follow its spiritual and philosophic. Hence the suggestion that those who know, those who are linked with the Masters, should seek out the cultural leaders of the age.
Esoterism is entering upon a new phase. The fundamentals remain unchanged as always, yet the expression will be new; beauty will come more and more to the lore. The Ancient Wisdom must be expressed in terms of art. Side by side with this will be scientific developments, and the gradual giving of deeper knowledge concerning the constitution of matter and of man to the world. The organization will become less important than a steady diffusion of the Ancient Wisdom into all fields of human endeavor. Groups will gradually arise in these fields; politicians, statesmen, the theosophist scientists, religious teachers, artists, sociologists will be imbued with occult knowledge which they will apply in their own special fields. A far wider spreading of the hidden truth will thus result.
But beauty is our part, art, our field. For all other fields demand for their success the knowledge and expression of the beautiful. Barren indeed is the greatest expression of truth unless beautiful. Art is the center; art combines and links all other fields, as four is the central number of seven.
The Deva world, the home of beauty’s self, may best be made manifest to man through art. How can it be otherwise? For in the shining ones, their radiant forms, their lives, their glowing acts of service to the Supreme, beauty ever shines, Knowledge of them must be given to the world, and this is, in part, the artist’s work. Greece knew them; Egypt knew them; Persia and India too. Rome dreamt of them, but forgot her dream. And today they stand once more on the threshold of human life, ready to meet and enlighten men, messengers of beauty and truth, shining embodiments of beauty’s self.
Through artistic development a further face to the diamond truth, which is the Ancient Wisdom will reach the world; not as philosophy, religion or occult knowledge, but as Life in Beauty, which is living Occultism—the inner fire of truth. This new life wil1 manifest itself directly the inner inspiration of people, through mystical illumination rather than through teaching, lectures or book. Such illumination demands however, a background of trained brain consciousness concerning the knowledge aspect of the Ancient Wisdom. This background it is, in part, the work of the Theosophical Society to provide.
Fear not the result. The power behind the new birth is irresistible. The present darkness will melt away before the new life, which soon will pour out in a mighty tide over the Western world. And in America largely the new birth will occur.