artfully changing the world…
i have been dreaming a lot about art lately, and how interesting it is … how viscerally crucial to our meaningful existence (which is any existence, mind you). in the way it makes room for voices, ideas, challenges, perspective, it has no equivalent in terms of sheer force of presence. it is likely that nothing profound has ever passed without the unexpected guidance of artistic perspective, be it walking on the moon, seeing god on the mount, or discovering how the universe sings in its own language, and numbers can trace sometimes these mad verses of imagination …
speaking of music, there were shootings in toronto a couple of weeks ago, and the city decided to send 100 extra police officers into jane and finch (the neighbourhood in question) to crack down on crime. a savvy editorialist at the globe and mail wondered aloud, with pen in hand, what would happen if 100 musicians were sent in instead? … what a beautiful idea. i wonder what would happen …
on a similar note, i heard from ivan today, one of my oldest friends, who has recently returned from camping on beaches in northern california. one night, alone, sitting around the fire, ivan saw a lone figure approaching from out of the night, from along the beach. the quiet stranger had long hair and was a carpenter — his eyes were abundant in peace and calm apparently. this jesuit soul sat down and soon an easy, meandering conversation accompanied them around the fire for the next few hours. in the morning, this gentle stranger had simply disappeared. ivan knows for certain only that his ‘name’ was matthew, and that one couldn’t help but feeling peaceful and good in his presence. could it actually have been jesus, pondered ivan (who himself had long gone astray from the flock, so to speak), alone in the deep dark night of his tent, and later the next day as the miles hummed beneath his northbound, road-weary car tires … was it jesus walking the stunningly beautiful hippy trail of northern california, meeting up with like souls and passing the time in friendly moments of camaraderie? we’re still not sure, but in the morning on my friend’s car was a note with a little travelling buddha! … the question is: how did matthew know which car was ivan’s? …
and before calling it a night, i should mention that today was gloriously hot … something that brings me my own sort of peace. the cheapest southern getaway for winter-burned canadians, is the ridiculous summer heatwave that makes day-dreaming about a slower, simpler, hotter way of life a whole lot easier!
ahhh, c.
July 5th, 2007 at 6:39 am
ironically, as i was reading your post i was thinking how even though i am a painter, i can’t paint with words the way you do. we all admire what we long to be able to do, i guess. i think art (in whatever form; word, paint, sculpture, music …) is definitely essential to life. i am always interested in art that comes out of a bleak time or place- like after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
there’s been a heat wave here in the rockies, btw. i am soaking it all in in prepapration for the coming winter.
July 6th, 2007 at 5:51 am
soak up that heat! all those prancing butterflies awash in blazing hot sun will be what gets you through the darkest days in january! well, they do it for me, anyway. art! don’t get me started! where would we be without art? … not very far along, that’s for sure.
c.