Art & Art History ETDs

Publication Date

5-1-1980

Abstract

This thesis traces the roots of the rejection by technological man of soul and its accompanying workings through the intuitive, imaginal and irrational. This absence of credence in the workings of the soul or spirit has left the present age searching for meaning in life and desperate for justification of existence. Since art is by its very nature an expression of the imagination and fantasy, it has the capability to restore the soul and the truths of life that it expresses. The rejection of soul is a result of the dualistic theory of Descartes and the subsequent flowering of the Age of Reason. The separation of body from intellect placed the workings of the mind and reason on a pinnacle directing the physical world and ignoring the world of the soul. Many philosophers and artists of the past three centuries have recognized that the knowledge gained through reason, instead of providing the hope and security that scientific positivism had promised, became a source of anxiety and despair. The vastness of the universe, the theory of evolution and the rejection of God loosened the moorings to which traditional purposefulness in life had been tied. The application of intellect and reason in the form of technology has enframed the revealing of truth so that now only a partial truth in life is discovered. Complete truth is fulfilled through images from the soul or psyche. It is in these visions and dreams that meaning in life is revealed and man comes to Being. Art has a healing power that bridges the gap between the intellect and soul. Because art is a method of expressing images and transforming them into reality through the mind and senses it provides a more complete understanding of human phenomena. Art also touches the soul in which the eternal myths of man abound. These archetypal images, though personal within each artist, relate to a group sub-consciousness that has grown from primordial seeds. Despite the progress of the twentieth century, man still has humble origins which lie in close proximity to nature. These roots have a profound effect on who we are as human beings and link us more closely as brothers. Restoring soul then, has not only significance for the individual but for humanity as a whole. Art through its imaginal and intuitive nature provides a means of restoring soul in contemporary man.

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Art History

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

UNM Department of Art and Art History

First Committee Member (Chair)

Howard Wallace McConeghey

Second Committee Member

Anne P. Taylor

Third Committee Member

Unknown

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