Memnon pieta

Look around you: What is the closest piece of art you can see? Depending on where you are, you might not even be able to see one. Now, imagine that you come from the distant future. Try to see through the eyes of some futuristic entity, and look around again. The mundane objects surrounding you have just acquired a new interest, you see, because they are odd and antique; their shape, purpose, and design speak of an ancient time. They assume the mystique of curiosity, as do Egyptian combs, Greek pottery, or Byzantine trunks to our eyes. 

That is a strange characteristic of art! While visiting the Louvre Museum, we come across pieces that were meant to be solemnly admired, carved, and painted with what we naturally assume to be Art’s purpose. But we also find objects that originally suited far different objectives, such as carpets, plates, cups, combs, or mirrors. Today’s piece belongs to a Greek pottery tradition, in a very popular style featuring silhouetted figures or ornaments in red. This style was used for practical objects used to perform everyday tasks; as craftsmen became more aware of the potential value of their work, they began signing it. This demonstrated a shift towards decoration, elevating the level of detail, narrative, and composition. 

Does time forge artists simply by its passage? It is true that notwithstanding the pragmatic functions of ancient works such as this, most of the ones kept in museums today were made to be beautiful and belonged to the elite — just like Bentleys and Ferraris! 

Let’s take a minute to admire the lines and designs we take today for granted around us. When immersed in a specific time and space, it’s hard to see the big picture and understand that this moment is a small sliver in a huge spectrum of possibilities — and that this too shall pass, to be considered strange, odd, and curious in the eyes of those to come. Let’s spend today pretending we live in a big museum taking place in the future. 

Artur Deus Dionisio