...and sometimes it's
not. Starting a blog to talk about
work, art and travel seems easy enough, after all, each of those things bring
on so much thought and reflection.
But the reality of it is sometimes the work gets muddled in confusion,
brought on by conflicts within the work, or simply life in general. The hardest part is to keep moving
forward and hope that things become more revealing as more work is
produced. While I sort through the
difficulty and relevance of what it is I produce, coupled with a health issue
that is nagging me, and then the daily distractions resulting from being part
of an academic community, how are they inter-related, or perhaps totally
separate? I have always admired
the artists that work through anything that is in their way, and have the
courage they bring to their work through this perseverance. But really, it is not that easy. And when I see how our own culture can
sometimes value (or is it de-value?) the arts, I am reminded of how much the
visual and performing arts add to our lives. After all, when you walk through a great museum, you see the
work of artists. We remember those
in the past who captured the spirit or cultural ethos of a particular people,
place or time. Do we remember the
power brokers from that same time in the same way? I doubt it.
While we may want to trivialize the arts, they are the thing that
perseveres, nourishes, and lasts.
Sorry to ramble on here, but
with all that I see going on around me, I only wish it were easier...
Here's a couple more images
from the series I am working on (among other things in the studio), that are
still connected, for me, to the great pre-columbian pots I am looking at. I hope to somehow distill what I am
seeing with what I am feeling. I
plan to post some pre-columbian pots soon so there is a more direct visual
reference to what it is that touches me so directly. The real trick is to look, absorb, reflect, and innovate, in
a most personal manner. Boy, I
wish it (art and life) were easier...
