INSPIRE ME! Artist, William Blake

""I must Create a System, or be enslav'd by another Man's.
I will not Reason & Compare; my business is to Create."
"Angel of the Revelation" by William Blake
By TAHLIB

He was considered crazy by the cultural elites of his day, William Blake (1757 – 1827) an English painter, printmaker, and poet. Today, he is widely considered one of England's larger than life figures in the world of religious art, and he is also the inspiration for Australia's controversial Blake Prize for Religious Art. William Blake's obsession with the religious comes through richly in his work, and his expressiveness and creativity have inspired generations of artists ever since. If you've not been introduced before, A&O is excited to introduce you to William Blake, INSPIRE ME! Artist of Month.

    Portrait of William Blake by Thomas Phillips
  1. We know you as a religious man, a spiritualist poet and metaphysical artist, but do you also have fun? "Fun I love, but too much fun is of all things the most loathsome. Mirth is better than fun, and happiness is better than mirth."
    2. "Eve Tempted by the Serpent"
  2. Today, as during your time, there is a great deal of debate about the difference between religion vs. science, but also between art vs. science. What do you see as the distinction? "Art is the tree of life. Science is the tree of death."
    3. "The Body of Abel Found by Adam and Eve"
  3. Have you ever had to defend exploring religious themes? "I must Create a System, or be enslav'd by another Man's. I will not Reason & Compare; my business is to Create."
    Blake's frontispiece to "The Song of Los"
  4. Why do you believe you were not a widely collected during your lifetime? "A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees." 
    5. "Jacobs Ladder"
  5. What, if any concerns do you have about your religious imagery, or religious art in general? “Christ's crucifix shall be made an excuse for executing criminals."
    6. "The Ancient of Days" (An Aramaic name for God)
  6. What advice would you offer to Religious Artists of this century? "Great things are done when men and mountains meet."
    7. "Angel of the Revelation" | Metropolitan Museum of Art
  7. How should men and women of faith respond to their calling from God? "As a man is, so he sees. As the eye is formed, such are its powers."
In closing, I must admit, as I do with each bi-monthly historical interview, that I didn't really visit William Blake, except maybe in my dreams. All the quotes however are real but my questions may, or may not have anything to do with the context of his answers, but it was still an enjoyable journey. I hope inspired you too, and I'll be back in September 2012 for another journey to INSPIRE ME!