Kings and queens within the arts

ROHAN Jayawardane

The matter of personal artistic expression is unique to the individual human person. In brief, it is "self expression". It is, on the other hand, the higher human capacity located within the imagination at work through such mediums (of expression) as music, dance, painting, crafts and handicrafts, design, creative writing, architecture and so on.

The individual stamp of the unique "personal mind" is regularly seen in these works in the manner of a signature or a finger-print; being consistent with the mind's usual characteristic content and development.

When each individual is encouraged to be inventive (personally) in this manner there springs forth the most natural of outpourings of one's individuality; the ability to be entirely unique!

Balance and maturity

However, there has to be instilled at first a fundamental education and fullest awareness of the subject and its technique of good expression.

Otherwise there is seen much confusion and absence of the required clarity. In actual fact, beauty arises out of the emergence of clarity.

The self expressive person grows rapidly in terms of adult balance and maturity.

He is ever different, and sees everything in the facets of life with the characteristic sharpness and clarify that has been established.

The persons who are gifted with rare talent at artistic self-expression are usually uncaring of the mundane creature-comforts and wealth accumulation albeit their work being termed "priceless".

Those who are placed in the efficiently organised human societies are indeed extremely fortunate because they invariably have a forum, and audience, lots of buyers and even of patrons.

Events

However, in societies of this world where the organisational factors are low and the citizenry themselves struggling, artistic persons are regularly manipulated ones and at enormous personal risk by the very fact of their unique attributes.

Indeed, they are in dire need of protection from society's predators. These would even wish to transform art and artistes into their own mundane advantage and gain!

There have been monumental events of history connected with beautiful genuine patronage. There is the case of George Frederick Handel who was born in Germany in 1680 but chose to live in England. He used libretti in the English language (translations etc.) for his oratorios.

He was actually in dire financial straits in the last period of 1738 when a person gave him a libretti based in the Christian Bible. He read it and then moved into a frenzy of inspired writing for 3 1/2 weeks during which he rarely slept or stopped to eat.

In that brief period of time he produced several hundred pages of near-perfect music in over 5 dozen huge sections of orchestra, choruses and in solo voice. It is called "The Messiah" and includes the soul-stirring Hallelujah Chorus. It was first heard on Good Friday morning, 1739.

He had written many thousand notes of unbelievable beauty, to the extent that the great J.S. Bach remarked: "He is the master of us all". The production of 'The Messiah' was massive for that easy age and time of the long ago 18th century.

The promoter of it in England and all over Europe was the graceful King George II (reigned 1727-60) of the Hanoveriaus. In fact he kept the great Handel alive and happy.

Elsewhere, in an earlier era of exuberance in Europe the Hapsburg emperors were patron in Austria of great complex music including the work of Wolfgang Amadems Mozart in the late 18th century.

On a different wavelength, the brilliant allround scholar, actor and bass baritone Paul Robeson was the promoter of the early life of the prodigiously talented Jamaican Harry Belafonte of genius rhythms!

There has also been an everlasting tradition of patronage in the great forum of painters of all eras, from classical to modern. Sri Lanka's exquisite Ivan Pieris of the "43 Group" of artists lived mostly in Europe in these happy terms.

Others have made it alternatively on the hardwork and contribution of wise and beautiful parents, all of them kings and queens without doubt, as well.

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