Beauty, Love and Impermanence

I've recently read a couple of things, be they articles, books, etc., that touch on beauty and/or how we perceive them and how we feel about them. This led me to remember something I'd read a while back, maybe a year or more that has stuck with me. Warning: this is a rambling, not orderly, "typing as I think" aka stream of consciousness type of post...but here's how it went down:

I'm currently reading a book by David Byrne, the man behind Talking Heads' music and a solo artist in his own right. He's apparently an avid bicycle rider, not for sport or racing of any sort, but for his main means of transportation in NYC and any place he is when on tour or business. (This, of course, has an added bonus of keeping him in shape...I can identify with this.) He's written a book called Bicycle Diaries. I was obviously interested in reading for multiple reasons...being fan of his music, being a bicyclist, etc. The book randomly touches many different thoughts and theories he's had while riding or as a result of his riding. He mentioned a German art gallery owner who has a problem with some Art being "too beautiful".

(isn't that a hilarious photo?)

Stop for a second and think of how YOU define what is "beautiful"...it's difficult to put into words. This art gallery owner, Matthias, said he didn't like art being "too beautiful". He thought "beauty being ephemeral, evanescent and impermanent, reminds us of death." Does it for you? I didn't think so, at first, but the more I thought about it, and remembered something I'd read before...I could see maybe what he was saying. In fact, I think things are beautiful because they remind me of death...or, better explained like this: they show the impermanence of life and the imperfections of being human. I love that type of beauty, because life and being human ain't perfect...or maybe it is.*

Why do we love babies so much? All babies, and especially our own. Sure, they're cute, but as a parent I can easily say, as strange as my daughter looked when she came out, she was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, even though in another scenario I might easily say, "gross". Children are beautiful. Their innocence is surely a large part of this, but what makes them more precious and beautiful than anything is largely because the are imperfect. Funny to say, because I, along with most everyone, say they ARE perfect. "Perfect angels" we say, because we accept them completely as they are without reservation. (Now, THAT is Love, with a capital L.) But, when we think about it, they can't do anything, especially at first. They can't talk, move limbs as they wish, even control their heads. As they grow, control and speech progresses and we're so proud of them. I think maybe this love and pride exists because they are perfect in their innocence, but we see at the same time the things they can't do. We want to help them. We want to make everything right for them. That's love, as well. The "giving" of assistance, and of ourselves, is love. I think that's beauty, too.

We as humans cherish life, and when we see a newborn, we are reminded that another life is created, but with new life comes yet another death. It's bittersweet, but makes the moment even more profound. Whether we actually think consciously of death, it's there as a natural progression in the back of our heads, but we're happy for the life they will live, as it IS impermanent.

What is beautiful to me are things that emote our human existence. There can be things, be they Art or Music, that are "too beautiful", or too perfect. What I mean by that is that it's not real enough...it's too sweet, like saccharine. There isn't the flaws and bitterness of real life, that makes Art or Music real. There is no shade to the light. An example of this is Disney...it is too sweet, and not real enough to interest most of us, as adults. But what Matthias, our art gallery owner, seemed to be saying is that he didn't like things that were beautiful, because they reminded him of death. So I think he must prefer dark or abstract Art, that didn't remind him of anything other than what he wanted to think about. I'm still trying to figure that out. I think I disagree with him as to what is beautiful. I also think he is avoiding a perfectly natural part of life, which is death.

I wish I could remember where I read that we "love the imperfection", or who said it, but unfortunately I cannot, because I have thought about it many times since. Whoever you are, thanks for moving me "down the line" a bit more.

* I put this asterisk above because the more I thought about my comment that "life ain't perfect", I immediately saw my error. Look at it this way...what is light without darkness, what is happiness without the occasional sadness. We wouldn't be able appreciate the good times if we had nothing to compare it to, right? Another book that comes to mind is Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins (absolutely my favorite author and my fav book of his) which has a couple that achieves the impossible act of not aging. Cutting to the crux and ignoring many other sub-plots of the book, it got really tiresome and the couple lacked our inherent drive for life, living for thousands of years, not to mention having to move so often to keep others from realizing their lack of aging. If we all lived forever, I think it would be awful. Life as we know it is perfect and it's an absolute gift.