October 15, 2021 Weekly Musings

Announcement:

Another Northwoods Art Tour has wrapped up, and I am so happy to have met so many new faces, and to have connected with so many old friends.  Thank you to all who supported the arts this weekend, and thank you all for a wonderful time.  

Blogs:

Delicate Spiderweb

Featured image (above): Hydrangea Bushes in the Garden

Delicate spiderweb
Glistens with morning dew
Ripples when a breeze happens.
What an amazing sight.

Strings Attached

Featured image: Downy II

The art world that I live in is constantly changing.There is always movement and shifting to meet different demands. The art world that I live in never settles in one place. The art world that I live in challenges the construction or designing of identities. The very idea of constructing or designing limits the freedom that I so cherish. The very idea of others constructing or designing my identity, or anyone’s identity scares me tremendously. And the scary thing is that there are so many who don’t realize that their identity has been designed and that their notion of freedom is anything but what the word represents. Freedom must be absolute with no strings attached. It is impossible to have absolute freedom. The closest we can get to absolute freedom is to recognize those things that do have strings attached and minimalize them.

Hummer's Left

Featured image: Hummer III

The hummers have left for another season. I will miss their dive bombing “good mornings.”

Woman-Women

Featured Image: She Is Called Peace

The concept of “woman” is free but the concept of women is not. There are no limits of an individual woman, but there are many limits to the concept of women, and their ability to choose freedom. For the one there is independence for the many, dependance. One’s mind in the many is no longer their own but belongs to others.

Acorns

Featured image: Sunflower Bouquet

Thump, thump, thud. Acorns are falling from the trees. Fall is coming as I watch a squirrel on top of the tallest tree in the woods shake a branch and I hear at least a dozen thuds on the ground. Definitely fall is coming.

What do Jackson Pollock and the Surrealists have in Common?

Featured image: Sandpiper

The gestural action paintings of Jackson Pollock and the automatic writing and making art of the surrealists had a common interest. The common interest was the desire for releasing the mind, self and soul from a dependency on anything. Both were searching for freedom. Freedom is defined as what comes naturally and without coercion.

Freedom is a tricky concept. I approach the concept of freedom and the nature of things by searching for it, trying to recognize it and in turn, acknowledging anything that I am dependent upon. An excellent example, one I have used often when writing this blog, is when I don’t like something in my work and I want to change it. I usually end up changing it/ fixing it the same way. I am dependent on a very comfortable way of fixing things. I am also dependent on thinking it has to be some way or another or perfect. This generally happens when I create something kind of realistic or representational like my birds. I notice that there are many artists who do the same thing. If you are dependent on something, anything, you cannot be free. Freedom cannot be dependent on anything. This is an impossibility but is always worth a try at getting closer and closer to the concept. Freedom needs to be totally independent and individualized – like ones unique soul or self.

I had a friend that I frequently had morning coffee with as we talked about politics and art. One morning I made the statement, “I fight for freedom, not only for myself but also for others.” She replied, "So do I." The thing is, how we approach and achieve freedom for ourselves, and others couldn’t be further apart. We are 100% apart as to how to achieve this. I would like to think that my way is the right way and hers is the wrong way but my interest in the unique individual stops me from doing this. The difference that will keep our ideas about freedom apart is that she excludes others if they don’t do things the way that she thinks they should be achieved. She once said to me that we have laws that will enforce things. The trouble is that when you force others through a law to comply – there is no way freedom can exist – no way.

I don’t believe an individual should be forced but should always have choice and live with their choices good or bad and learn from them. If they have others determining and telling that this is the way to be free – the whole concept of freedom is lost.