The Preface.

The artist is the creator of beautiful things.

To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.

The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beatiful things.

The highest as the lowest, form of criticism is a mode of autobiography.

Those who find ugly meaning in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault.

Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated.

For these there is hope.

They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only beauty.

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.

The moral life of man form part of the subject matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect us of the imperfect medium. No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true can be proved.

No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.

Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art.

Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art.

All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the sureface do so at their peril.

Those who read the symbol do so at their own peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.

Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.

When critics disagree the artist is in accord with himself.

We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it, The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.

All art is quite useless.

- Oscar Wilde

"The Picture of Dorian Gray"

Yes, I am excited to read the rest of this book, just picked it up last night. & Yes, I finally finished the Alchemist. My thoughts on it coming whenever I have time next..

ALSO

R.I.L. today said this to me. Chels, I'm glad you came cuz this message was intended for you.

You're going to be okay. Trust Him, He knows what you need right now. Keep doing what He would have you do, and You will be okay, cuz He keeps His promises. Build your life around righteous principles. Stop worrying and just trust.

So Great. It was wonderful. I love that He takes such good care of me to give me this little message.

Happy weekend my friends, be safe and ctr.