Sleeping Beauty Analogy Explores Modern Art's Role in Awakening Society

An article originally published on the Substack platform Clinsights uses the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty as an allegory for contemporary art's purpose. The piece argues that genuine art serves to awaken people to truth and beauty, contrasting it with what it terms the 'dark arts' of modernity, which it claims lull society into a state of distraction and fear. The spindle from the story is presented as a symbol for the relentless machinery of modern life, which numbs individuals through constant demands and manufactured anxieties. Conversely, the 'true love's kiss' that awakens the princess is likened to the transformative power of authentic artistic creation, which the author suggests can reawaken a sense of beauty and humanity. The article references a 1899 pencil and watercolour work titled 'Sleeping Beauty' by Henry Meynell Rheam as a visual anchor for its theme. It also cites author Lewis Hyde's book 'The Gift' to support the idea that art can induce moments of grace. The author contends there is a cultural 'war against beauty' visible in modern architecture, media, and other fields, and posits that the essential function of today's artist is to create works that act as counter-spells to this trend. The piece concludes by connecting the princess's name, Aurora (meaning 'dawn'), to the potential for art to bring light back into the world. The article is a preview of themes from the author's forthcoming book, 'The Sovereign Artist: The Liberating Power of the Creative Act.'