Description: "Lushly illustrated reflections on the truth and meaning in great objects of art. An innovative approach to the spiritual in world art. Roger Lipsey invites the reader to a contemplative look, to a look of the intelligence of the heart. In the silence of words, each art work speaks to the viewer and teaches a gesture, a posture, a meditation. With "Eyes to See" a gaze is opened and discernment is refined as much as it allows itself to be touched, by truths eternally present at the heart of each work. "Eyes to See" then becomes a practical manual intended for the contemporary sensitized by the need to illuminate, within themselves, the chaotic world of art. Through its remarkable eclecticism, this collection of "icons"-to use the author's term here-takes the reader/viewer through eras and territories inspired by world history. The objective is not naively about knowledge but about seeing; because the eyes to see are those of the body and the soul as much as of the spirit which is not reduced to the intellect alone"-- Provided by publisher.
Review Quotes:
"The book makes a case for the 'knowledge of the heart.' It's atypical for scholars to speak of love as an approach to their field of study, but the author rejects such constraints to better pursue a fresh, affecting perspective: 'May we all find, and find again, our secret eyes'. . . . A refreshing, well-considered take on art." --Kirkus Reviews
"Eyes to See is a celebration of icons in art, finding beautiful connections across history, culture, and geography." -- Foreword Reviews
"A lavishly illustrated set of reflections on how the spiritual is present in art from ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean to medieval Europe and the Renaissance, India, the Far East, and the world of Islam." --Merton Seasonal
Blurbs for Lipsey's previous books on art:
"An invaluable reminder of the purposes and possibilities of modern art. Exemplary." --Kirkus
"It is not easy to write about the deeply wordless world from which these haunting images emerged, but at last the challenge to think out loud about this neglected side of Merton has been taken up by Roger Lipsey." --Jim Forest, author, Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton
"This astonishing book looks at an aspect of Merton's life that has been almost ignored. Here we have access to that wordless, imageless experience that was nearer to him than life itself. It is a book to be read slowly, quietly, and repeatedly: a wonderful book." --Sister Wendy Beckett, PBS host