Lesli DeVito : The Mudhouse Show

"Tulip", "Myrtle","Juniper" and "Lilac" 16"x16"

KALOPSIA - (kuh-lop-see-uh), def. The state of being, or condition, in which things appear more beautiful than they really are. Presumably in LOVE.

Medium: Acrylic paint

Description of the Show:

We have all heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But what influences our perceptions of beauty? Why are some things universally appealing to All or most of us? A sunset. What contributes to that appraisal? How are we swayed or persuaded, or are our conclusions beyond conscious decision making capabilities? Do we love something more, when it makes us happy? And is it therefore more beautiful to us? And who, in the history of the world, defined “Beautiful”?

The Beauty of the Beast. What makes an animal beautiful? To you? To me? What makes me beautiful to you? Do we look at a painting of an animal, connect to it one day and dismiss it the next? And if so, why? There are animals which are trendy and gain popularity because they are “in vogue”. What makes a trend? And why is there a difference between displaying a cow painting and displaying a portrait of a cat? Is it the portrait or is it the cat? Or the cow? Or is there more to it? Is it Love?

30"x40""Olive"

When I look at photographs of my newborn firstborn son, 14 years ago, he looks red and skinny and slightly alien to me now. But at the time, you could not have convinced me that he was not the most beautiful baby in the world. Is it love? Is it delusion? Is it kalopsia?

Is love delusional?

In Sonnet 116, Shakespere wrote :

...“Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

Oh no, it is an ever fixed mark...”

How does Love influence our perception of beauty? That is the question.

Think about it ...but not too hard...and enjoy the beauty of the beast.