The Power of Art

This evening I heard a British accent which reminded me of the Art Historian Simon Schama who, in turn, made me think of the BBC series The Power of Art; Schama narrates. When the series came out a few summers ago, I watched whatever episodes I could catch on PBS. I never saw the entire series, however, so this evening I searched for it on YouTube... successfully. I meant to watch only a few episodes, but was enthralled and watched all of Rothko and a few of Van Gogh. Some statements made me think...

"A picture lives by companionship, expanding and quickening in the eyes of the sensitive observer. It dies by the same token. It is therefore a risky and unfeeling act, to send it out into the world." - Rothko

"Rothko wondered – could art change the world? Could art cut through the white noise of daily life... connect us with the basic emotions that make us human? Ecstasy... anguish... desire... terror." - Schama

"[These paintings were]...the unknown space that Rothko talked about... the place that only art can take us, far away from the buzzing static of the moment and toward the music of the spheres." - Schama

I love that phrase - art that can "cut through the white noise of daily life"
The Power of Art series includes Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Rothko. Here's the 1st installment on Rothko if you're interested. I enthusiastically recommend it.