Culture-Is it a Conspiracy

Culture-Is it a Conspiracy?

BY C. R. GERRARD, F.R.S.A ¹

(Director, Sir J. J. School of Art, Bombay)

I have been asked to speak to you about art and culture, or rather I have been asked: Is culture a conspiracy? Now this is a difficult question to answer, because I do not quite understand what is meant by culture being a conspiracy. But I take it to mean: Is culture an affectation or an imaginary shield behind which a few learned snobs can hide? Then my answer is, No.

Culture is a very definite but, I am sorry to say, a very rare quality in this modern world, and we should not allow ourselves to be confused by thinking that culture and art mean the same thing.

It is not necessary to be cultured to be an artist, but it is better that an artist should be cultured, for although art and culture are quite different, they are a good combination.

A man can be an artist and a great artist, if he is sensitive, if he has great creative faculties, and a vivid imagination. He may be an artist because of his strong primitive emotions. He may even be illiterate, but still a great artist–and when I say artist I mean painter, sculptor, dancer or musician, proficient in any of the arts, and he may only excel in one of them–is not necessarily cultured. A man of culture may not excel in the practice of any art, but he must have a knowledge and appreciation of all, in fact he must be a connoisseur of everything that is fine, he must understand good music, good paintings, and must be well read.

Art is the offspring of passion, feeling and understanding–whilst culture is the offspring of good breeding, deep knowledge and a great appreciation of the beautiful things of life.

A good example of a man of culture who was also a great artist is Leonardo da Vinci–who is perhaps the most illustrious figure in the history of the human race–for he was distinguished and elegant, an intellectual and a great painter. He saw no essential difference between art and science, his mind was very deliberate, realistic and experimental, yet filled with the artist’s pleasure in creating new things.

Leonardo da Vinci died over 420 years ago but he still lives in one’s memories as one of the greatest men of the world: he was a painter, a sculptor, an engineer, a soldier and a very religious man, with great refinement and character.

He is an exception rather than the rule; although the majority of artists are cultured, they are far from the standard of quality possessed by Leonardo.

Then we have the artist who is not cultured, but depends upon primitive instincts or strong emotional forces; a good example is the negro sculptor, the man who takes a piece of wood and with a fierce passion carves it into a God. His work is great because it is sincere, because it has captured some of his own strange emotions: it may not be beautiful but it is powerful, and it says something, it has a message for the world. The very simplicity and crudeness of the artist gives a greatness to his work: he gives part of himself, sincerity.

An artist who has culture will give the world refinement and elegance in his work, but an artist who works by instinct will give the world truth and feeling. It may not be attractive but it will be great.

Then again we have the man of culture who is not an artist in practice but must sub-consciously be an artist in his ideas and ideals.

The dilettante creates no work of art but appreciates art and has a great love for it.

There is the man who cannot play any music but on hearing a wrong note will get a cold shiver down his spine. There is the man who looks at a bad painting or piece of sculpture and is nauseated by it. There is the man who leaves a restaurant because he sees people eating expensive food in dishes which do not blend. This super-sensitiveness is part of the make-up of a man of culture: he understands, he appreciates, he almost worships everything fine in painting, music, literature and good living. I think I have clearly pointed out to you the difference between art and culture, and I think you will appreciate the fact that there definitely is such a thing as culture–it is not a word just used by the intelligentsia to hoodwink the masses.

Culture should be a very necessary part of civilization–but I seriously think, with modern life rushing along at break-neck speed, there is little time left to consider culture as an important factor in life, and more and more it is being left to the few.

With wars and revolutions and mass production, culture is becoming a thing of the past; and because modern life has become a competition of speed, we are deserting the things which really matter, things which make life worth living.

I have been asked: is there a world of difference between Epstein, Eric Gill, Rodin, Gaugin, Van Dyke, Raphael, and Michael Angelo? And my answer is: No–they are all artists, and an artist is an artist the world over. Epstein may portray certain emotions, but all artists are in essentials exactly alike, they all strive to give the world a message, there might be a subtle difference in their message but their object in life is the same.

Every artist has his own technique, his own colour-sense or plaster-sense as the case may be. This gives his work individuality, but underneath the mannerisms of all true artists there is a similarity, for all great art has for its ultimate goal the expression of life.

Another question I have been asked is: Is it fashionable to be a Surrealist, Impressionist or Cubist? And is it art? It is certainly fashionable, but it is not art, for real art goes deeper than fashion: a novelty never lives. Surrealism is a phase, it is one of those experimental periods in art. I cannot say it will live, because I feel so many Surrealist painters and sculptors are working with their tongue in their cheek, so to speak. They are being original for the sake of being noticed, but out of the hundreds of Surrealist creations a few may brave the storm and survive, because sometimes, however ridiculous the idea, if a piece of work born of that idea has thought and sincerity, what is produced in all sincerity will have some quality of survival in it somewhere.

Impressionistic art will live. The French Impressionist paintings have already proved themselves to be great and worthy of the name of art. There are many Impressionists who are charlatans, and it is surprising, to see how quickly one tires of a painting that is not genuinely sincere.

Impressionistic art is a great study and cannot be explained in a few words, but it is perhaps the most interesting of all modern work.

The Impressionist presents his feelings and emotions to you in the simplest manner without a flourish of tiresome details; and unless you have studied the Impressionist school, this lack of detail may be irritating, it may even appear stupid. But forget the little things like detail, search for the broader outlook, try to appreciate the artist’s feelings, and you will enjoy his work.

Cubism like Impressionistic painting is a study in itself. I do not think it will live like the Impressionists might; it is intellectual and deep and needs understanding to be appreciated; and each picture is a problem in itself; and before it can be readily understood, one must be able to know the mind of the artist and what he is striving for, because Cubists rely upon abstract form and symbolism.

One could go on talking about art and culture all night. It is a subject without beginning or end. We have only to visit the Art Galleries of Europe to know what art has meant to the world and what an important part it has played in life. Our Museums are filled with history and the achievements of forgotten people, and our Libraries with words of wisdom showing a culture of centuries.

It is sad to think that the masses never stop to consider that art is the birth-right of every human being. The world is full of art, but people pass it by. They have not the time to consider what a difference a few hours of leisure spent in the study and an appreciation of beautiful things would make in their dull and dreary lives.

Culture takes long to acquire, but the joy and understanding of art is the beginning of culture. Man may lose much in life, but having acquired culture he keeps it forever. There is really no need to look at the dreary things in life when the world is so full of beauty. But before you can find beauty you must know what you are looking for and know how to enjoy it when you have found it.

1 By courtesy of All India Radio.