when life gives you lemons, MAKE LEMONADE
The dark side of Art throughout troubled times in history
Over the ages “Art/Artists vs Pandemic/War” has been a familiar topic of discussion. Artists are perceived as being able to create their best when they live tortured lives. Another stereotype is that they are the underdogs of the world and most artists only make an impact after they pass on and leave their beautiful creations behind as a reference to history. Before the world of digital brilliance, artists like journalists were summoned to the battlefields through war, to draw images of the devastation and pain.
During pandemics in ages past they had to move into the front line of morgues and hospitals to record symptoms, death and decay. They had to partner with science while performing artists were called to entertain both the soldiers and the rich in wartime with music and poetry. They were called upon for recreation and science, to create joy in the most depressing times and were expected to keep scientific record of things that most sensitive souls would steer clear of. They who are the chosen ones, the ones that received infinite talents and creative energy were the ones throughout history that were compromised because of their ability to observe and create. Are they the stepchildren of humanity?
The Flipside
Humans are programmed to survive. In troubled times creativity flows, even with left-brain orientated people. Creativity takes one’s mind away from sadness, art reminds you of infinite beauty, it reminds you that everything started as a creative thought and that everything is temporary, and somehow that gives people hope for the future. It helps them celebrate the past.
People throughout history gravitate towards art when all else fails. In difficult times most artists keep creating and inventing. Just look at the “Black Death” (1347-1351) that is seen as one of the most inventive and creative times in European history. The Spanish Flu (1918 – 1920) was the period that gave birth to Dadaism, Surrealism and Expressionism. SARS (2002 – 2004) journalism took center stage and many artists painted masked people.
Since HIV aids epidemic moved from chimpanzees to humans in the 1980 it inspired some of the most beautiful songs and movie scripts ever written. In 2019 the world met the infamous Covid-19 pandemic and since the outbreak was identified in Wuhan in December 2019, the entertainment industry was the first industry to suffer financial difficulty. In South Africa artists started to think out of their boxes.
Kevin Leo and Jannie Moolman who are both popular tenors made a 180 degree turn when they started selling sanitizing-ware and equipment as a way to survive. Eric Holm who is a freelance actor and motivational speaker found a therapeutic way to generate an income during lockdown by painting small creatures. Our own Phantom of the Opera star Andre Swartz organizes an online show called “Songs of Hope” acoustics from the ”Groote Kerk” finding inspiration in the rich organ sounds and acoustic of the church. Dance teachers all over the world started to create online courses for their students.
People hold on to music and art during hard times, maybe it is time for the world to cherish the creatives, to help them help the human race cope during hard times in history. It might be time for the world to look after the stepchildren of the human race.