To understand a work of art is not unlike studying a rare stamp. It needs to be seen in its context in time, with a view to the social, political, and economic climate. The only real way for this to happen is to have lived during the time.

So, it should be easy to understand art today. We need to take along Henri's reminder of surfaces and undercurrents.

On the surface, political boundaries are changing, because underneath, people want to be with those who have common interests and have the same goals. People want more control over their destinies. There is a strong belief in the power of the individual and smaller groups, rather than `cradle to grave' philosophy of an omnipotent `mother', `father' government-figure.

In science a whole new technological revolution in the electronic, computer, telecommunication, laser, and optics fields is taking the place of the old `industrial' one. And just when we think we've reached a level where wide spread epidemics will never happen again, we have aids.

On the surface, we have rock stars, rock videos, fashions where anything goes, and an unprecedented freedom of choice, in art, music, and literature. Underneath, we know not much has changed when a man can still be crucified for speaking his thoughts. On a superficial level, Elvis is rumoured to be alive and talk show hosts are the rage. Underneath we don't believe much of what anyone tells us except the average `worker bee'. We still believe the farmer out in the field, and the worker down in the mine.
We have magazines, video games, arcades, monster truck squashes, sports of every description, of which walking is now included, underwater ballet, triathlons, biathlons, iron men, monster wrestling ... body building is in. Underneath, the old stuff like family picnics are just as much fun as ever, and we know we're not any different from every other generation before us, growing older, `but not up'.

On the surface there's a trend toward globalization of currencies. Competition is carnivorous, as the TV ads are always telling us. There are: stock markets, commodities, consumer items, real estate, credit, junk bonds, savings bonds, R.S.P's, tax scams, tax credits, sales taxes, school taxes, property taxes, provincial taxes, federal taxes, municipal taxes, gas taxes, environment taxes, death taxes, and income taxes. Underneath, it still all adds up to cash flow, or no cash flow. We are eating a pie that has all been divided up, and most of the guests are going to go hungry. Underneath, we still know its not how much you have that matters, but who you are. And yet the need for designer labels is proof that appearances still count.

On the surface the Dali Lama and the Pope are making speeches all over the world. Wars are global too, only the new weapons are social unrest, germ warfare, and economic sanctions. Underneath, Mark Knopfler, sings `Brother's in Arms' , and `Every Street'.

Seen in this context, it is easy to understand why artists and art are in a state of confusion, and one thinks of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If".

On the other hand, I believe it is out of the greatest periods of change that the best art is born. Complacency has always been the enemy of creativity.




177. E. H. Gombrich, Art and Illusion, (Princeton, N.J., U.S.A., Princeton University Press, 1972), p.382