By: Richard Restiano
Spring has been a time cherished by humans for centuries; awaited with fervor and optimism. Life is art. Art is life.
Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness which is tied to our mood. Art trains the mind through the eye and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.” – (John Lubbock 1913).
Art enhances and relieves stress in our lives and adds to the quality of life. Art helps to communicate what artists feel, want you to see, or to believe. The seasonal changes and nature have always been a strong influence and significant factor on humans and artists, and art can express the experience of the spring season in many ways.
For artists, writers, and composers across cultures and centuries, they see spring as a symbol of renewal, beauty, and transformation. Their works span mythology, landscape, still life, and allegory, each capturing a different facet of the season’s energy.
Some of these prominent artists are: Sandro Botticelli, “Primavera,” 1480; Giuseppe Arcimboldo, “Spring,” 1573; Katsushika Hokusai, “Bullfinch and Weeping Cherry,” 1834; Claude Monet, “In Springtime,” 1872; Camille Pissarro, “Plum Trees in Blossom,” 1886; Van Gogh, “Almond Blossom,” 1890. Their works were inspired by the sensual and emotional power of spring. Its colors, light, warmth and scent. Many painted still life pieces bursting with flowers, sometimes combining blooms from different seasons to heighten beauty.
Music and song also bring out certain emotions and feelings as well as providing inspiration or boosting people’s morale. Composers who also celebrated spring include Antonio Vivaldi, “Spring” from “The Four Seasons”; Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”; Igor Stravinsky, “The Rite of Spring”; Aaron Copland, “Appalachian Spring.”
So, get out and enjoy the season. Support and celebrate our local arts organizations and artists. “Arts bring us together and culture is what we share.”
Richard A. Restiano, Sr. is the founder of Nassau Council of Arts and Culture, Inc., The West Nassau Arts Alliance, and the Arts Leaders Forum- Arts and Culture organizations that support the arts for Nassau County, FL. They create, promote and sustain positive art experiences and cultural opportunities while supporting cultural tourism to enhance the quality of life for all residents. Richard can be reached by email to richard@neflartsleadersforum.com or by phone, 815-579-1677.
