large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_28
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
Forty years ago there was much less talk about art, much less practice of it, than there is now; and that is specially true of the architectural arts, which I shall mostly have to speak about now. FORTY YEARS AGO THERE WAS MUCH LESS TALK ABOUT ART MUCH LESS PRACTICE OF IT THAN THERE IS NOW AND THAT IS SPECIALLY TRUE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL ARTS WHICH I SHALL MOSTLY HAVE TO SPEAK ABOUT NOW
o draw some practical conclusions from this assertion of the Aims of Art, which will, I suppose, or indeed hope, lead us into some controversy on the subject; because it is futile indeed to expect any one to speak about art, except in the most superficial way, without encountering those social problems which all serious men are thinking of; since art is and must be, either in its abundance or its barrenness, in its sincerity or its hollowness, the expression of the society amongst which it exists. First, then, it is clear to me that, at the present time, those who look widest at things and deepest into them are quite dissatisfied with the present state of the arts, as they are also with the present condition of society. This I say in the teeth of the supposed revivification of art which has taken place of late years: in fact, that very excitement about the arts amongst a part of the cultivated people of to-day does but show on how firm a basis the dissatisfaction above mentioned rests.  LEAVE TO ATTEMPT TO DRAW SOME PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS FROM THIS ASSERTION OF THE AIMS OF ART WHICH WILL I SUPPOSE OR INDEED HOPE LEAD US INTO SOME CONTROVERSY ON THE SUBJECT BECAUSE IT IS FUTILE INDEED TO EXPECT ANY ONE TO SPEAK ABOUT ART EXCEPT IN THE MOST SUPERFICIAL WAY WITHOUT ENCOUNTERING THOSE SOCIAL PROBLEMS WHICH ALL SERIOUS MEN ARE THINKING OF SINCE ART IS AND MUST BE EITHER IN ITS ABUNDANCE OR ITS BARRENNESS IN ITS SINCERITY OR ITS HOLLOWNESS THE EXPRESSION OF THE SOCIETY AMONGST WHICH IT EXISTS FIRST THEN IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT AT THE PRESENT TIME THOSE WHO LOOK WIDEST AT THINGS AND DEEPEST INTO THEM ARE QUITE DISSATISFIED WITH THE PRESENT STATE OF THE ARTS AS THEY ARE ALSO WITH THE PRESENT CONDITION OF SOCIETY THIS I SAY IN THE TEETH OF THE SUPPOSED RE VIVIFICATION OF ART WHICH HAS TAKEN PLACE OF LATE YEARS IN FACT THAT VERY EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE ARTS AMONGST A PART OF THE CULTIVATED PEOPLE OF TO DAY DOES BUT SHOW ON HALF FIRMER BASIS THE DISSATISFACTION ABOVE MENTIONED RESTS
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