Dear CCC
You
are a talented young lady. Your art is not what I
have always thought of as conventional art. Some of it is probably art
that I would have walked past with little thought other than possibly to
pass a quick comment on how beautiful a piece might be. Last year when you took me to see your work at the graduation exhibition you explained a great deal about your work and the thought processes
behind it - some of which we had already discussed. You also told me a
little about some of the other artists and their work.
This
year you are producing more work which I admire for its sheer beauty but
which I am also beginning, with your help, to understand. I am looking
forward to seeing it at the exhibition in May.
Yesterday you blogged the statement by Toni Morrison
"At some point in life the world’s beauty becomes enough. You don’t
need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough. "
Now
Toni Morrison is, I understand, one of the USA's distinguished
novelists as well as being an editor and professor. I confess I'd not
heard of her. So her words should presumably be given some weight and
credence. I'm not sure that I agree with her. However I'm pretty sure
that there is enough debatable material in those words for several
doctoral theses. I may well come back to them.
I want to tell you how thankful I am that that you
share your knowledge and thoughts and your art with me (and many others
of course).
Thank you dear CCC for making me think.
Yours gratefully
Posts
Crazy Uncle Graham, I was so looking forward to seeing a piece of your niece's art, but I can wait for the exhibition in May.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with the Toni Morrison quote....I think that beauty is meant to be enjoyed and shared.
That's why I am enjoying all the blogs that I read, so much beauty abounds in each one, not only the photos, but the writings as well.
The young lady in question is not really my niece. She named me Crazy Uncle Graham though. I think she has considerable a talent and ability to make one think. I agree, Virginia, that beauty is meant to be enjoyed and shared. I would have to explore the thinking behind the quote but on the face of it I am of the same point of view as you.
DeleteWell, there should be many more Crazy uncles who can see beauty and appreciate art. Artists need support. Our communities need a big push to support art and display it publicly. I'm rather surprised at the Toni Morrison quote
ReplyDeleteRed, I think with art that it is often a question of an open mind. I have tried having an open mind with people such as Tracey Emin. I saw her work entitled My Bed in 1998 or 99 at The Tate Gallery in London and I have seen exhibitions dedicated to her work since. I have never been able to see the 'art' in it in any form or description of the word regardless of how much I look at it or read about it. I don't expect necessarily to agree with a work nor do I have to think it's beautiful (or whatever is intended by it). I do, though, expect it to be that allusive of things called art. But then perhaps art is in the eye of the beholder. Who knows?
DeleteI agree there are moments in life when a moment of beauty can be enough in itself. And it can be good sometimes on such an occasion to let the camera rest, and words as well, and just be still. But if you want to share it with someone who is not, was not, there... Then pictures and words come in pretty handy!
ReplyDeleteI wonder, though, Monica, if there is an analogy with the tree falling in the wood when there is no ear to register it. Does it make a noise? Is beauty unseen and unremembered really beauty? Can beauty seen ne forgotten or not remembered? Perhaps it needs to have an eye to behold it.
DeleteIt probably does, but does the eye or ear need to be human? As for memory... I was thinking more along the line of being in the moment. We never remember every moment of our lives, only some of them. And yet they probably all contribute to making us who we are. My thoughts also go to Genesis 1, though... God created, he looked at the result, he pronounced things good... Whether we interpret that literally or metaphorically I think it says something of our need to create, to watch, to describe and to share.
Delete