The Power of Art: Can Creativity Conquer the Cyclops of Our Time? (Part 2)

Socrates said, "Show me the songs of a land, and I will show you her laws." He understood that the art of a land prophesies its future. Wassily Kandinsky, an artist who narrowly escaped Nazi capture—with most of his paintings destroyed—is renowned for declaring, "All artists are prophets." He believed that an artist brings the unseen into the seen realm. As Flannery O'Connor would say, artists are the ones who "bring the far things near."

What is avant-garde from the artist today becomes the mundane of the future. It is the artists who stand with their vision at the pinnacle of culture and pull it forward into the future. Those who support the artists and pave the way for them are the bastions of change.

The Prophetic Power of Art

Art inspires possibilities and opens doors. Before anything can materialize, it must first be sung, written, or painted. How many movies have expanded our imagination to endless possibilities? How many paintings have stirred our emotions and spurred wonder? How many poems have we read or songs have we sung that illustrated a potential future? We shape our future by what we paint, and only what receives financial backing can continue to be created and preserved.

The Impact of Dark Art

There is a living artist today named Marina Abramovic whose art themes include cannibalism, sexual depravity, witchcraft, and body mutilation. Her themes are anything but uplifting, hopeful, and inspiring. She is patronized by important DC politicians, the very wealthy, and Hollywood celebrities for reasons unknown to me.

This is an example of patrons shaping culture intentionally toward darkness. Dark art has been rampant in the 20th and 21st centuries. This dark art is why we live in the turmoil we do today and are at war in our culture.

A Shift Towards Light in the Art World

Thankfully, from 2008 until now, there has been a significant shift, with the individual artist selling directly to the individual collector without the need for the art world's superstructures. The art world is actually crumbling, and its dark grip on culture is slipping. We see this in the fall of Hollywood and the decline of major record labels.

We now see independent filmmakers and musicians surge and topple the industry. This is made possible by you, the consumer, or the patron. We hold the power of our future in our buying power. Dark art will be vanquished by the power of the collector. The fundamental principle is that hope sells.

The New Cultural Path Powered by Patrons

What would you rather live with: images of depraved, violent, ugly, disgusting acts of death or uplifting, inspiring, beautiful, joyful acts of heroism that bring life and liberty? The only reason dark art has survived this long is because it has been upheld and subsidized by governments, the elites, and a subservient system of willing merchants and middlemen.

They have campaigned on art for art's sake and said, "For all of you peasants out there trying to make art, don't try; go be a graphic designer or barista because the curse of the starving artist still lives!"

This is, of course, a complete lie. There is no starving artist curse anymore. That is behind us, and we are forging a new path in culture where the patron will decide.

The patron admires work ethic, vulnerability, courage, beauty, connection, and a vision for a future full of light, life, and prosperity built on the back of innovation, hard work, and exceptionalism. This cannot exist without freedom and personal liberty—every artist's battle cry.

Living Between Two Worlds

We are living in the "already" and "not yet." We are in the midst of battle, yet we live in the victory. We walk in the identity of freedom and light, even though darkness still surrounds us. We live much like mermaids do—swimming in the sea, yet equipped with lungs to breathe in the air of another world.

We belong to two worlds—the here and now, which is tangible, and the world yet to come, which only materializes by faith. We walk out our destiny and forge the destiny of our culture through the currency of our faith.

This is the inspiration behind my "Mystics" series, a group of hopeful and inspiring paintings of mermaids living in the sea yet breathing in the light from above. Canvas prints of the series are now available on my website.

My hope is that these paintings call you into the deep to find yourself again and help you know the truth about your destiny and the One who calls you to it. I hope that bringing a "Mystics" print into your space reminds you daily that your life was designed for greatness, that you are extraordinary, and that you can do all things you dream of doing.

We live in a time when, amid lies and darkness, you, as the patron, hold the power to wield light. Every penny you spend to support an artist dedicated to bringing forth beauty and truth is paving our road to a glorious future.

Do you agree with Kandinsky that art is inherently prophetic? When have you seen art bring a future age into the present reality?

Share your thoughts in the comments!