Some Images of a "New Creation" in Twentieth-Century Art
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The Journal of Bahá'í Studies 7, 1-21Abstract: The theme of destruction is so common in twentieth-century art that it is easy to make the superficial mistake of dismissing much of modern art as dealing only with death and despair. A closer study of this period can reveal that there has always been a fascination with the subjects of birth, renewal, and new beginnings. Many of the art forms of our century exhibit a profound and purposeful break from the past and can be understood as a continuing attempt by modern artists to create a unique and unprecedented visual language for the arge in which we live. This article looks at the works of some twentieth-century artists to show that, whether they were aware of the Bahá'í Revelation or not, many of these artsists have been compelled to express the quiet yet unmistakable theme of a "new creation."
The theme of destruction is so common in twentieth-century art that it is easy to make the superficial mistake of dismissing much of modern art as dealing only with death and despair. A closer study of this period can reveal that there has always been a fascination with the subjects of birth, renewal, and new beginnings. Many of the art forms of our century exhibit a profound and purposeful break from the past and can be understood as a continuing attempt by modern artists to create a unique and unprecedented visual language for the arge in which we live. This article looks at the works of some twentieth-century artists to show that, whether they were aware of the Bahá'í Revelation or not, many of these artsists have been compelled to express the quiet yet unmistakable theme of a "new creation."