The Rebirth of the Renaissance

Already the 21st century has seen its share of tragedies. From natural disasters to terrorism, one might think that the world is swirling the proverbial drain.

I beg to differ.

Lately it seems that we're always on the brink of some sort of ruin, be it financial or otherwise. But within these tumultuous times, there is an artistic beauty underlying the fact that the human spirit still perseveres.

What's even better is the fact that we live in a technology rich environment which allows us to record every aspect of art from its inception to the final product.

Some say that we are in a new era, a time where pop art, music, and fanfiction has taken hold of our lives, bringing down the quality of expression to mediocre at best. These are the nay-sayers who scoff at the indie movement. These are the ones that long for the gatekeepers to once again stand in front of the masses and dictate what is worthy to be seen, heard or read.

Personally, I think we are witnessing the rebirth of the Renaissance. A time where the arts flourish, where ordinary men strive for extraordinary art. For those who don't know, the Renaissance was a time that spanned the 14th-17th centuries. It was a time of rebirth (of the classics), an age of new discoveries, a time when humanism went from a contemplative life to an active one. Some of our greatest works of art, music, dance and drama came from that period, as well as some of our greatest minds.

Today, I am constantly amazed at the number of brilliant artists popping up everywhere. It seems that the arts and humanities are thriving in a time when the world is focused on power and greed. Maybe there is a movement afoot by the common man. One that understands that the riches of life are not gained through a bank account or a symbol on a shirt.

Maybe there's hope for us yet.


Take a look a just a few examples of what I'm talking about: