Winter Antiques Show 2010 The Magazine Antiques Keynote Address
Presented by: Reverend Peter J.Gomes, Harvard University
Introduction by: Wendell Garret, The Magazine Antiques
"God is in the creative eye. The creation of a beautiful object is an act of divinity"
Reverend Peter J.Gomes
"God is the author of beauty.
Beauty is an act of divine intervention"
Reverend Peter J.Gomes
"Things of Beauty: A Critique in the Philosophy of Beauty"
The pursit of beauty and beautiful objects can, as Rev.Gomes comicly explains in his eloquent and dynamic manner, incite anger and envy. "It leads to the vices of envy and anger" he explains in words stated in questions that all of us who share a love for art and antiques can understand. One-Why should those of us who lack the financial means to feed our need for beautiful objects be denied? Two-Why should someone else,a persons with monetary funds be allowed to to add to their collection, despite the fact that this individual most likely lacks the ability to fully appreciate the object in question? As Rev.Gomes so insightfully stated, we have all one time or the other have asked this question. No other time are these questions asked with possible spite than the Winter Antiques Show.
In my opinion if we are staying in theme with the Seven Deadly Sins, I would like to add the sins of lust and greed to the list. When I say lust I do not mean the tradition sense of the definition associated with carnal pleasure, but the passion and longing a beautifulobject create. What collector or lover/patron of the arts & culture can honest say that have never been seized with the need or want that bordered delirum? Greed is eaiser to understand and strangely enough,accept. Once the collecting bug has bitten someone, especially one with the means to finance a collection worthy of envy, itis extremely difficult to stop.
The good reverend focused on , despite his critique on the antiques world's connection to the deadly sins of the Bible, how beautiful objects have a benevolent influence on us as human beings. In his opinion admiring an object of beauty is similar to listening to a good Sunday sermon. A person should, after an intrepid adventure pursing beauty, "leave enlightend or refreshed". The words "A thing of beauty is joy forever" may be a cliche, but as the reverend wisely reminds us,these are words of undying truth. Appreciation of the beautiful will keep us alive and youthful, in mind and spirit.
Things can havean ability to evoke a strange and wonderous he argues. Antiques makes us beg the questions on origin and provenance not just in authenticty but the story behind the object itself. What was original intent and purpose? Who were the previous owners? How did the current owner come across the piece? This leads to empirical truth that implies not only to antiques but to life in general. It is essential that a lover and handler of antiques if they be a dealer, a collecter,or an admirer be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake.
He teases himself by making this claim about himself,"I am a material man trapped in a spiritual body." He acknowledges that the material world is temporaryand effermeral. He is aware of the arguments that worshiping beauty is worshiping a false god.
At the same time there is"something about beauty,craft,and continuity." When we are in possession of beautiful objects,we are the steward,or more appropiatly, the guardians of those objects. We are the "stewards of remarkable stuff." In the future, others will be that stewards.
Antique collecting allows us to be the stewards of beautiful objects that speak to us directly. Stewardship allows for continuity. Acknowleging the fact that the beautiful objects we covet will be passed on toa next generation of guardians allows for continuity. But the concept of continuity can be argued in the sense that beauty is everlasting.
In the business of antiques, beauty is timeless. What is beautiful then is beautiful now. As I have said many time before, no matter what field of design something comes from, be it architecture, interiors, decorativearts,graphic, etc., if it is truly good,it will breath life and give off a special energy on its own. Beautiful buildings,interiors,and objects to me evoke the sounds of Pucini, Vivaldi, and Beethoven in the air.
For Rev.Gomes God is in creative eye. The creation of a beautiful object is an act of divinity. When an antique dealer make a good sale,it is an act of heavenly tranaction. What is empirically important to him is the idea of continuity,the sense of stewardship,and honoring the original intent of an object. As the sage of the evening concluded his lecture,"Follow your heart,but do not neglet your head." He wants us to understand that the choices in we make in terms of collecting,or what we would like to collect, is very individual. Its is an individual choice dictated not just by personal aesthetic tastes,but by our indiviual set of values.
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