The Eye of the Beholder

There is that old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Which is true in most cases. Some look at abstract art, for example, and see beauty in the brush strokes. Others may turn from the painting confused or claim "My three year old could paint that!" Just as others enjoy nature more than others or a certain type of movie. We each have our own opinions and interests.

Currently I am taking an art history class, and we have been discussing artists who imitate and use ideas from other artists who have gone before them. The artists do not produce a complete copy of the old artwork but use the ideas and concepts and then improve upon them. The artists try to implement the ideas into better masterpieces.

I am rambling here, my point is that beauty is different. It can be simple or it can be complex. Someone may think one painting is perfect while another individual may think they could make it better. Beauty is different to everyone.

In this world that we live, we are constantly trying to find things to entertain and please our eye. We all search for beauty. In TV there are special effects, movies are now three-dimensional, and pictures can be manipulated. Some may prefer looking at the Grand Canyon on pictures but some may think that the beauty of the Grand Canyon can only be truly experienced by going there.

I was just thinking about all of this when remembering a line from Rainbow's End when Alfred reflects on the cathedral in Barcelona, he states, "The cathedral was best seen without virtual elaboration; after all, the reality of Gaudi architecture was gaudy beyond the imagination of modern revisionists." For Alfred he enjoyed the architecture without the enhancement that this new society provided. He did not think that the cathedral's design could be improved upon. However, not everyone may share his opinion. Some may still prefer the 'eye show' of the Rainbows End society and like the improvements that the 'modern revisionists' made.

Beauty is very subjective.