Today’s post takes off from a passage in a book The Art of Just Sitting. It is a Buddhist approach to many things in life. It is one amongst a pile of books for me to read in this genre in order to better ground myself and my thinking. A passage struck me while up in the airplane that I thought was worthy of sharing and some additional thought. “The mind is like the ocean waters, the body is like the waves. There are no waves without water and no water without waves; water and waves are not separate, motion and stillness are not different”.
It seems to tie into several directions. One being the notion that Art is Air for the Mind. There is no art without air, no art without a mind and no mind without air. A mind to ponder, consider and create art and a mind to observe, consider and reflect upon it. To exist, there must be the two. Two parties connected by a medium that joins and speaks to them. For me, the scientist is a necessary step in my process to initiate the creation of art. Oddly, the scientist is the curiously unstructured participant.
That scientist, asks what would happen if… Looking at piles of shattered glass, lab glass, bottles of inks, dyes, and different oils who must pick a palette. Once the wave is started within my mind, the artist steps in and begins to capture the set of unfolding events. Oddly, the artist is more structured. The artistic process directs light, f-stop, shutter speed, and film speed settings to be arranged in a manner to capture the light’s movement. The camera
angles need to be correct. The lights’ angle of incidence and reflection considered and understood. Reflections of the studio lights in the inks and glass may be desirable or not. From there I will move to Lightroom and Photoshop for the basic darkroom editing. Scientist – Artist. Wave without water. Structure without form. Inputs without a known foreseeable output. Yet, they both must exist within one and with each other. My art is an inextricable part of who I am. It is an output of my attempts to have the two inner parties connect and communicate: the scientist and the artist.
In that dialogue a creation jumps forth and allows for new conversation to occur. It is that intermediary, the artwork itself, that cues a conversation to begin and perpetuate. Whether it is my photography or not, there is curiosity and an exchange of thoughts that occurs. The value of social media, the next wave to consider, it to simply ‘put it out there’. Take a risk in order to learn. Take a risk to gather feedback and understand the waves. Some have opined that it is a vainglorious hollow pursuit of recognition and self seeking acknowledgement. Perhaps that certainly seems to be the case for some. For me, it is this necessary. One needs to understand that there is no art without an audience. There cannot be waves without water. I post to brighten someone’s day and to observe. Observe and learn from people’s reaction to the photography. I am grateful when there is an uptick and the appearance that a new twist, technique or sequence piques people’s appreciation. Similarly, I am grateful when the audience is quiet and disengaged. It teaches me quite a bit in both directions.
When submitting an application to a show or gallery, we would all prefer the acceptance note. But, in her wise counsel, when the note is a decline my wife just reassures, that one was not mean to be. In a way, she seems to be telling me to apply the principal above. I can simply understand that it was not my water, nor my wave. This is powerfully liberating thought. Similar to the Wabi-Sabi principals. Be confident and acceptant of the current state of being. To be sure, there is nothing in those two guiding stars that prevents one to be intentional in one’s need to plan, design and architect a desired future state.
As we apply and earn trust more acceptances, more shows and more customers appear. Building a trusted community of partners and customers takes time and effort. As we continue to collaborate with clients, the dialogue expands. As we work with local galleries here in Richmond and in New York City, the tendrils for new directions of expansion where the conversation can grow appear. One cannot exist without the other.
As we apply and earn trust more acceptances, more shows and more customers appear. Building a trusted community of partners and customers takes time and effort. As we continue to collaborate with clients, the dialogue expands. As we work with local galleries here in Richmond and in New York City, the tendrils for new directions of expansion where the conversation can grow appear. One cannot exist without the other.
The artist needs to understand the existing communities, then who within that community has a need to fill a space on the wall and who’s esthetic resonates with my art form.
There is also the water – wave dynamic when we consider that art is a product of the artist’s experiences, condition and those moments in time when it is being created. As a reflection of these three elements, it is the wave and the artist the water. So too is the audience or observer. They are the recipient of the wave and become the water. There is an exchange of ideas, emotions and interpretations that happen in those moments.
It is my belief as well, that it is much easier on the soul and one’s energy when I, as an artist, stay true to my craft. In earlier posts, I spoke about refining and defining my specific niche. Turns out to be more liberating than limiting. The more I define my space, the better that I can refine the processes and final artwork that is shared. Increasing the likelihood that people recognize and identify my artform for what it is the more likely the community and customers trust the artist. That brand recognition is essential – to understand the rhythm in that water and the waves that arise.
It also seems to simply the artistic, and the professional, journey. I know that my water and wave does not lie in landscape, architectural, portrait, street, and other types of photography nor in other types of art. It is this space and place – abstract macrophotography and exclusive to Oil, Inks, Glass and Air. This also applies to my other professional endeavors. The better that I understand this precept, the more comfortable and reliable I become. I think a project that I am working on in collaboration with a colleague Dr Bahar Sedarati speaks to this concept quite clearly – Flow. By understanding one’s purpose, passion and pathway the journey become easy and immensely rewarding. More rewarding in terms that one is improving the life experience of others, delivering value and sharing abundance.
Perhaps there is an entirely different thread on the interdependence and interconnectedness that arises from this sense of being in a fabric or body of water rather than a stoic island standing against the forces of the sea.
Dare I be so bold and empowered to consider enhancing a Buddhist thought: There are no waves without wind. It too is a necessary element in the water-wave phenomenon.
For now, the wave within this post is ebbing. Have a great week!
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Cheers,
Jim