Art and Ascetic Practice

I recently published a short piece on the relationship between artistic and ascetic practice for the website at Comment. Read it here. I also reviewed Sarah Thornton's book, Seven Days in the Artworld, for the print edition of Comment (Summer 2010).

Comments

[John]

Like it or not the word asceticism is essentially very life negative -- a cutting away or mortification of the life functions.

By contrast I much prefer to use the term Spiritual Practice. Which can really only be done within the context of a comprehensive Spiritual Culture--which is almost completely absent in the modern world, especially in the USA.

This essay describes how Sacred Art done within the crucible of a Sacred Culture used to work, and the necessary pre-conditions for it to work now in 2010 and beyond.

http://www.aboutadidam.org/readings/art_is_love/index.html

Plus this reference describes what needs to be taken into account for the living of Right Life.

http://www.adidam.org/teaching/aletheon/truth-life.aspx#rightlife