it’s complicated.
John Ray, the famous 17th century British naturalist, once wrote, “Beauty is power.”
If that’s true, it begs the question why beauty, however we define it, has such a powerful effect. Furthermore, why do we experience beauty in the same way whether we see a child’s sleeping face or a beautiful sunset?
I don’t pretend to have the answers. But our ability to recognize and appreciate beauty of all kinds is a sign of something deeper, that, as 20th century American writer Willa Cather wrote, we are able to “capture for a moment a glorious and elusive moment.” I hope that this is a trigger that requires us to “keep it safe.” It’s life itself. ”
Perhaps that is the source of the power of beauty and why it can be found everywhere, from nature and music to architecture, art, patterns, and gestures, just to name a few.
Could it be that the power of beauty becomes an antidote to the horrors unfolding in life? Probably not. But in the brief transcendence it offers, the power of beauty freezes time, enchanting and calming in its dazzling emptiness.
The images below highlight some moments like Cather’s that made me think about the complex nature of the power of beauty, while also enjoying its diverse expressions.
