Customer Reviews

Art Needs No Justification

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H. R. Rookmaaker worked with Francis Schaeffer and I loved his book Modern Art and the Death of a Culture. This was a really short book that gives an overall view of the arts from a Christian perspective. He talks about the view of high art, really since the Renaissance, vs. crafts. He has very good insights and gave me things to share with my students as we look at the arts during our study of Western Civilization. Our textbook right now Barzun's Dawn of Decadence does a real good job of sharing the art as he discusses the philosophy, science, etc of each period. Rookmaaker helped to clarify some things for me and is written for the layman.

Well - my title sums it all up. If you aren't motivated to make art after reading this, then you are either a tough person to inspire or dead. I think this book is the tip of the iceberg, bringing forth tons of ripe ideas like the basic fact that art does not need to fulfill a function - it is - therefore, it is and that's it's function, to be art, a unuseful thing that is filled be beauty and awe and creativity. Simply put - best book I've read on this topic.

This is a great companion book to Dr. Rookmacher's other books. Well thought through from a Chriatian world view, but not in any sense judgemental. Easy to follow.