Once compositional problems are solved and the tonal design established, the work of a visual artist is relatively routine. It leaves plenty of time, while applying paint to canvas, to ponder on ‘life the universe and everything’.
The earth is about 4.5 billion years old, but humans, the only ‘sentient’ species, (at least as far as we know) have been around for a mere million years or so; less than a blink in the cosmic eye. Furthermore, knowledge of the pre history of life on earth has existed for less than two centuries.
Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’ and, more latterly, ‘The Selfish Gene’ by Richard Dawkins, explain the mechanisms of evolution. Disappointingly, they explain the ‘how’ but not the ‘why’ of life on earth. Life has existed for millennia, apparently, without anyone to comprehend or appreciate its complexity and beauty. The idea that the last 14 billion years, since the ‘Big Bang’, is a preparation for our arrival just won’t wash. There is no point in any of it unless there is an observer, somewhere, to give it meaning. Notice that I have studiously avoided mentioning God; more on Him later.
The only conclusion, that my tiny brain can reach, is that the universe itself must be intelligent. It seems that more and more people, all over the world, with far greater intellect than I, are reaching a similar conclusion. At last, this great question is the subject of serious scientific study, free of the fear of ridicule. To, probably, misquote Shakespeare; I can’t be bothered to check- It would spoil my flow: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are seen in your philosophy”.
I have never been a fan of organised religion. The major faiths are both divisive and repressive, and rely, for their power, on the artificial generation of fear and guilt. However, after much discussion, with Christian and Hindu friends and colleagues, I believe that all of them have some truth hidden within. Many believe that the Catholic hierarchy, in particular, is sitting on a vast repository of esoteric knowledge that is deliberately withheld from public view; for fear that such information would undermine their power.
If, for instance, the afterlife is ‘real’, then it is a part of ‘reality’; a hitherto unknown or unexplored branch of physics and, therefore, an integral part of the way the universe is made. Logically, it is likely to be as complex as the physical reality that we see around us, and as such, not always benign. Now there’s a scary thought!
My personal view is one of excitement and optimism. Humanity may be on the brink of earth shattering discoveries and revelations, which will alter our view of everything; a paradigm shift, for the better, in human evolution. I hope that it may be proven that there is something greater than this reality, which, for far too many people, is a squalid, frightening and painful experience.
On the other hand, these may be the fanciful musings of someone rapidly accelerating towards the final curtain. :)
The earth is about 4.5 billion years old, but humans, the only ‘sentient’ species, (at least as far as we know) have been around for a mere million years or so; less than a blink in the cosmic eye. Furthermore, knowledge of the pre history of life on earth has existed for less than two centuries.
Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’ and, more latterly, ‘The Selfish Gene’ by Richard Dawkins, explain the mechanisms of evolution. Disappointingly, they explain the ‘how’ but not the ‘why’ of life on earth. Life has existed for millennia, apparently, without anyone to comprehend or appreciate its complexity and beauty. The idea that the last 14 billion years, since the ‘Big Bang’, is a preparation for our arrival just won’t wash. There is no point in any of it unless there is an observer, somewhere, to give it meaning. Notice that I have studiously avoided mentioning God; more on Him later.
The only conclusion, that my tiny brain can reach, is that the universe itself must be intelligent. It seems that more and more people, all over the world, with far greater intellect than I, are reaching a similar conclusion. At last, this great question is the subject of serious scientific study, free of the fear of ridicule. To, probably, misquote Shakespeare; I can’t be bothered to check- It would spoil my flow: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are seen in your philosophy”.
I have never been a fan of organised religion. The major faiths are both divisive and repressive, and rely, for their power, on the artificial generation of fear and guilt. However, after much discussion, with Christian and Hindu friends and colleagues, I believe that all of them have some truth hidden within. Many believe that the Catholic hierarchy, in particular, is sitting on a vast repository of esoteric knowledge that is deliberately withheld from public view; for fear that such information would undermine their power.
If, for instance, the afterlife is ‘real’, then it is a part of ‘reality’; a hitherto unknown or unexplored branch of physics and, therefore, an integral part of the way the universe is made. Logically, it is likely to be as complex as the physical reality that we see around us, and as such, not always benign. Now there’s a scary thought!
My personal view is one of excitement and optimism. Humanity may be on the brink of earth shattering discoveries and revelations, which will alter our view of everything; a paradigm shift, for the better, in human evolution. I hope that it may be proven that there is something greater than this reality, which, for far too many people, is a squalid, frightening and painful experience.
On the other hand, these may be the fanciful musings of someone rapidly accelerating towards the final curtain. :)
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