OUTER SILENCE....

new work, 2010

A Book of Silence, by Sara Maitland, is an exploration of silence. The author found herself falling in love with silence. She explored the cultural history of silence, the importance of silence in religions,and its use in artistic expression. Could it be, that in surrounding our self in silence, our listening and looking becomes enhanced?

"As time passes, I increasingly realize there is an interior dimension to silence, a sort of stillness of heart and mind which is not a void, but a rich space." Sara Maitland, A Book of Silence

All rock photos were taken in Kyoto, Japan October 2009

"All things are symbolic by their very nature and all talk of something beyond themselves."
Thomas Merton

"Stones have always been associated with the eternal and the ageless." Mark Peter Keane
The Art of Setting Stone

"They're just stones, aren't they? ...I'm sure you see a kind of power and mossy beauty radiating out of them, the way you look at them." Yasunari Kawabata, Beauty and Sadness

What is it about stone that attracts me? Is it the surface textures? the subdued colors? the timeless feel of eternity? The effect of time on stone is so slow, almost discernible. The mystery, the history of the stone fascinates me. When I look at stone I see the natural stains, the cracks, formations and surface textures. How can I incorporate this mystery, this seeming silence into my artwork?

STONE by Charles Simic

I have seen sparks fly out
When two stones are rubbed,
So perhaps it is not dark inside after all;
Perhaps there is a moon shining
From somewhere, as though behind a hill--
Just enough light to make out
The strange writings, the star-charts
On the inner walls.

THE "IT" FACTOR

new second hand store acquisitions

"Since the "it" in our existence cannot be further identified, since the essence of language is its poverty in the face of "it," since one cannot hold a mirror to "it," since "it" is the monster in the labyrinth and the eternal playmate, one strives for an art whose aim is to render the effect of "its" presence."

In Dime-Store Alchemy, poet Charles Simic reflects on the life and work of Joseph Cornell, who was one of the first artists to elevate boxes of found objects into an art form, beginning in the 1900's. There are many books on Joseph Cornell's works of art. Dime-Store Alchemy is a little gem of a book, an act of homage, with short essays and commentary. Thank you to Gail Rieke, who recommended the book to me. You can find her beautiful artwork, and fabulous studio here.
All the quotes in this post are from Dime-Store Alchemy.

This is a wonderful book of Joseph Cornell's boxes. There is an interactive CD included in which you can explore the mysterious boxes up close.

Brought home from a flea market in London England

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see," Thoreau writes in his journal. Cornell speaks of 'being plunged into (a) world of complete happiness in which every triviality becomes imbued with a significance..."

Christmas gift

"Found objects, chance creations, ready-mades abolish the separation between art and life. The commonplace is miraculous if rightly seen, if recognized."

Jeane often writes about the progression and stages of her artwork on her wonderful blog, ART IT, which you can find here. Several posts ago, she wrote that "it" was not doing it for her. Several stages later, she wrote that "it' was now working for her. I know that "it" often refers the artwork. But there are times when "it" is not measurable or identifiable.
"It" is hard to pin down and describe. But we all seem to know what that "it" is. How do you know when you have found "it" in your artwork.