Comparison and Conclusions

Having now looked at two of the many ways in which Shamanism can influence our lives through art, we should consider its meaning. Picasso taught us a new way to see things, a new reality. Goldsworthy reminds us of an old way, that of nature. These two opposite views represent a duality, one that needs resolution. Each artist teaches valuable lessons, but lessons that seem to contradict. Picasso looks beyond himself to areas unknown, tracing an otherworldly abstract nature into art, newness and confusion, complexity and non-conformity. Goldsworthy on the other hand is concerned with centering within himself, revealing the spirit and natural beauty of the land, simplicity and harmony, peace and co-operation. Neither one is more important than the other, both are valid choices. Together they invite us to transcend these seeming contradictions, this duality, and move beyond their two views to find our own sense of aesthetics, to find where we wish to place ourselves in the Universe. Then we can discover our own beauty and express it as we see fit. In this way, with our new perspectives, we can move forward to discover what shamanism might mean for the twenty first century and beyond.