THE ARTS ARE ONE
By Robert J. Cole
WHATEVER we may think of Dr. Einstein's new theories, they have done some good in recalling to our forgetful minds the fact that there is such a thing as a universe. And we may very well meditate upon our own relation to it all.
For each human being, the universe begins in personal consciousness. It is only so great and so diverse as he can realize—that is, make real to himself. His knowledge of the exterior comes to him first through his senses—knowledge of form, color, motion and other facts relating to every phase of existence. But the value of that knowledge depends upon its arrangement or organization. There is no real happiness, no growth or progress toward any goal in an inner life of thought and emotion which is a confused riot of details. There must be some kind of order.
The use of art in the life of man is the consciousness it brings to his innermost self of the order of the universe. All the arts are the expression of the one impulse—to create and recreate the universe in the individual experience.
This may sound vague, but it is not mere phrase-making. Take one of the fundamental laws—proportion, the relation of parts to the whole. The painter of a landscape, the architect of a church, the composer of a symphony—each works out in his own medium and brings home to our consciousness the laws that hold true for sun and star.
Sometimes an attempt is made to set up an artificial relationship between the different forms of art. This is an error. Each is separate, considered as a form of expression. The two fields where they all unite are the creative consciousness of the artist and the consciousness that responds to the appeal of the finished work of art.
One person may get a more vivid sense of the unity, the harmony of life—that is, the order of the universe—through music; another, through painting or poetry. There is, however, an enrichment of consciousness and also a greater sense of freedom in the inner life when the number of these aids to experience is increased and when their relationship to each other becomes clear. He is freest of all who responds to all the arts. Art is a fabric woven of many threads. I once attended a concert of the Young People's Symphony Series, at which the part the dance had played in the development of symphonic music was actively illustrated. The performances of Isadora Duncan, Pavlova and the various organizations from Russia have had a marked effect on painting and sculpture. Literature records the influence of all the other arts.
It would be easy to quote passages from Browning or from our own Sidney Lanier, to show poetry and music in the closest union. But the reader can find illustrations for himself. Let him open the doors and windows of his nature so that all these forms of expression will produce their fullest effect upon his inner life.
Some ears are not constructed so as to convey a true and complete harmony of sound to the brain. For many eyes the visible world is distorted. Yet I believe that even such handicaps may be to some extent overcome. The disciplined mind has a marvelous power of rounding out and correcting imperfect reports from the senses.
The great thing is to fight that indolence, that heavy unresponsiveness of spirit which stands like a wall between us and any expression of life. Whatever the diplomats may do, we can receive at the imperial court of the mind ambassadors from everywhere. The oldest, the newest and the most successful League of Nations is Art.
