Art is the Solution

Les Mangeurs de Serpents Source: Wikimedia Commons In the late-nineteenth century, Paul Gauguin established an artist’s community in the Breton town of Pont-Aven. Many artists who were exploring abstraction and other new forms of expression moved there to work and experiment in a creative environment. Among these artists were members of the Post-Impressionist, Symbolist, and Les Nabis movements. One such artist was Paul Sérusier, one of the early adopters of the move toward abstraction in art and a follower of Les Nabis . Les Nabis were a group of artists who sought to connect to a higher spiritual reality through their art. They believed that art had the ability to reflect the human soul and to express a deep level of meaning. Their motto explains it all: "sounds, colors, and words have a miraculously expressive power beyond all representation and even beyond the literal meaning of the words." Sérusier accomplished these goals through a bold, expressive style that featured...

Le Mystère Catholique Source: Wikimedia Commons When considering the history of Western art, it’s easy to imagine that art has become more secular over the years. While European art was once almost exclusively religious, artistic horizons began to expand in the eighteenth century, allowing painters more latitude to express themselves. Although it’s tempting to view this as a linear progression, many artists continued to find new ways to explore religious art through a modern lens. Maurice Denis was one such artist. Denis was associated with Les Nabis , a group of artists who sought to connect to a higher spiritual reality through their art. They believed that art had the ability to reflect the human soul and to express a deep level of meaning. Their motto explains it all: "sounds, colors, and words have a miraculously expressive power beyond all representation and even beyond the literal meaning of the words." That being said, the work of Les Nabis tended to be very particu...