What Creates Great Art?

Today I read "Happiness does not beget fine art."  It stated that the reason for this is because great art is typically born out of the "planes of agony, broken dreams, pain, suffering and torment." After reflecting on this concept/statement, I do agree that we typically see the great art rising from that place of angst in the soul, but I do not hold with happiness not begetting fine art, I think it is because we don't know how to continue it once we get there.

Discarding the Frame - Mark Tansey

Great art is typically born of questions, of journeys, of a place of searching.  This reality of life is almost thrown in our face when we are experiencing pain for it is our natural instinct to avoid or disperse pain if it be in our lives; with this comes a search for how to do that.  Sometimes the questions developed and asked in this process are easily answered and the pain easily remedied bringing the asker to a place of contentment...and many times there ends the search.  Sometimes the questions are not so easily answered, or acted upon when received which brings one on a journey of self discovery and learning which creates new understandings, which gives birth to great art.  So why is this not so likely in a state of happiness?

Along comes happiness, a wonderful, peaceful and damning place to be...if we are not careful.  I believe this is why"great art" is typically stifled in happiness is because at that point contentment sets in, there isn't really any stark pain anymore, sure discomforts might arise, but life is beautiful and why would you want to try to change it?  Happiness can create an illusion that we have "arrived" for you have come to the best state of living you have achieved in life...and many times this can turn into a belief that that is the best.  Here is where an artist must remain alive and continue the journey, question more, continue to expand, or contentment will settle in and slowly bind you to where you stand.

Triumph Over Mastery - Mark Tansey

In no way am I saying happiness is bad, I consider myself a happy person, I love being happy, but as an artist there is more to life, the world, and...well me than my happiness.  Happiness and peace is a great center to obtain after working through much agony, broken dreams, pain, suffering and torment (and no saying if those will return again), but then we must continue to venture out from it, continue to experience, to question, to change.  It is in this journey that great art is born, through discovery, which I admit is a lot more pressing when pain is involved, but is equally obtainable in a life of joy and happiness.

To close my thoughts I want to refer to the picture to the right. We can paint a masterpiece with our life and feel that what we have created for ourselves is so wonderful...and it is...but then are we just going to sit there and look at it, or are we going to give ourselves space to continue to work and create a life and art that is even better than our best so far?