A little inspiration from the Big Apple

Walking through Front Tryon Park, it is difficult to remember that the bustling streets of North Manhattan are mere blocks away. The river winds lazily to a distant ocean, and soon you find yourself in the monastery-like building known as The Cloisters, which houses a lovely collection of medieval art from around Europe.
Why mention a medieval art gallery in blog about new music? The answer is quite simple, requiring only one word: perspective. The Cloisters is a triumph of civic vision and artistic patronage, a literal step back into time in the middle of one of the world's busiest cities. Whether or not it intends to, it stands as a powerful testament to the golden age of Sacred Art, dominated almost entirely by works related to the Catholic Church. Walking through the Cloisters, it is difficult to believe in the skewed modern vision of medieval Europe as an ignorant and oppressed backwater, as ignorant and oppressed people do not produce soaring works of sacred art.
The final bit of perspective I have to share comes in the form of a question you can pose to yourself. If ever you find an opportunity, explore the Cloisters on a calm afternoon, realizing that you are viewing a mere sliver of the religious art of the great medieval age. Realize the brilliance of expression, the powerful naivity of faith and the human condition which is all wound-up in such beautiful art from a difficult time. Ask yourself: If arts patrons in New York City were to assemble a similar museum, several centuries from now, dedicated to (what is now for us) modern art, how would the patrons view our contributions? What would the works reveal about our social order, or our view of God? Would the works now glorified as masterworks be part of this collection, or would centuries of scholarship and the litmus test of historical taste reveal an entirely different set of (currently ignored) masterpieces? The religious art of old Europe seems to hold a particular grip on our imaginations: had medieval Europe been a secular age, would the works be as luminous or inspiring to us?
While it is true that it can be paralyzing for an artist to view his work in the light of the past masters, it can also serve as a catalyst to pursue ever higher grounds of creativity. As an artist, I took profound inspiriation away from my visit to the Cloisters. I will visit again in the future, seeking a deeper link with the past and a sensible road to the future.