The goggles, they do nothing

Leo Tolstoy said that art is "a human activity having for its purpose the transmission of the highest and best feelings to which men have risen."

Which is one way of looking at it, I suppose.

Could it not also transmit the lowest and worst feelings to which men have descended? Plus all that's in between, surely? Whilst we're on the subject, what the bloody hell is art in the first place?

Now, I have no intention to clog up this blog, any more than it is, with turbid musings on the nature of art. Many have disappeared up their own arses doing this very thing. It's a risky occupation I tell you, and one that I have no appropriate qualification for.

However, I've been bleating on about how the experience and understanding of beauty is perhaps the most powerful way of countering the boredom and angst that our modern world provides for us. Art of course, is a crucial medium for this.

Perhaps then, I should have a crack at defining what I personally find beautiful. Don't despair too much - I'll try to keep the noise down to a minimum. But what is blogging, if not self indulgent?

So, over the coming weeks, my plan is to elucidate my thoughts, in taught, beautifully written posts, which on reading, you will be bedazzled by my conception of beauty.

One can dream....

In the meantime, I've started a related photo blog to lend some visual ballast. Unfortunately I don't have a good camera, as the last one died a sudden death. So for the moment, I'm making do with my cellphone camera. Some people say that this lends some immediacy to photographs. Perhaps it does, perhaps not. For what it's worth, I'll be sticking stuff up there as I snap away each day. It keeps me off the streets, I suppose.

Thanks to Holly for the inspiration.