- A work of art asks us to take it as a captured moment of experience lifted out of the daily routine, pausing from current preoccupations to say “This is worth a second look”.
- Life has moments like that even without their being made into art: the scenic overlook, the sudden rush of nostalgia triggered by a familiar sight, the epiphany, the perfect crystallization of all our thoughts on the thing in view.
- Art mimics these moments in life when the depth and value of life seems to announce itself to experience. Artists must labor to evoke such moments in the design of their work, catching our attention as we visit their displays. Naturally occurring epiphanies appear on their own schedule, mostly beyond our control; we may be so wrapped up in our daily routines that no such appearances occur for long stretches.
- With both naturally occurring epiphanies and crafted works of art, we pause for a few moments to trace out how values enter into our lives, whether the purely formal aesthetic values of art or the values of the things depicted in art.
- Art is about taking time to value what life offers, as observer and as maker.
Thinking German, Talking Irish, on Big Questions, with Banter
When All Is Said and Dunn 