Claiming Art of Today

In a sacred Buddhist text entitled The Book of Tea,  Japanese art historian and curator Okakura Kakuzo explained the  philosophical and aesthetic background of the tea ceremony.  It is a treasure of provacative thought covering much more than tea (link to text can be found in Inspiration/Historical References).  There he wrote:

"The claims of contemporary art cannot be ignored in any vital scheme of life. The art of to-day is that which really belongs to us: it is our own reflection. In condemning it we but condemn ourselves. We say that the present age possesses no art:--who is responsible for this? It is indeed a shame that despite all our rhapsodies about the ancients we pay so little attention to our own possibilities. Struggling artists, weary souls lingering in the shadow of cold disdain! In our selfcentered century, what inspiration do we offer them? The past may well look with pity at the poverty of our civilisation; the future will laugh at the barrenness of our art. We are destroying the beautiful in life. Would that some great wizard might from the stem of society shape a mighty harp whose strings would resound to the touch of genius."

One might be surprised to know that this was written in 1904.   

"[W]eary souls lingering in the shadow of cold disdain" reminds me of VVG's  "wisp of smoke"  and mine and Jackson Browne's pretender. 

I suppose t'was ever thus.