A book well worth reading, 'the work of art' by Adam Moss. An eye opener for creative people
The author takes us through a convolution in a maze, a journey into what happens in the minds, actions, and the ups and downs of the processes of creativity. He tracks down and investigates and then interviews over a length of time, painters, sculptors, poets, writers, playwrights, chefs, dancers and in fact every type of creative person imaginable.
I read last week, coincidentally, from various sources, that when you look at a painting, in fact any form of creative art; that you are also looking into the soul of the artist; the very ingredients of what in every essence they are, as if these things are somehow ingrained inside, and are awaiting disclosure.
In fact, a lot of the stories in the book have made me laugh as they are almost all tragic and painful to read and I have had to put the book aside at times.
You can open the book at any one of the stories but in a circuitous way the are similar and all share something in common, they are about creative beings struggling with their own ghosts and phobias, almost as if they are at war with what they are trying to produce. But they don't give up and continue, continue, continue, until something in them shouts 'STOP!! They see, they recognise, that they have arrived and are surprised by what has been achieved.
Well, you know I always crack on about what the American artist and teacher Robert Henri wrote over a hundred years ago, that, 'The subject isn't to make art, it's to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable'. I was given a book by an artist friend a while back, 'The Creative Act' by Rick Rubin' And I've just picked it up to flick through it, and there on the very first page, is this very quote by Henri. Serendipitous; must mean something.
Most of the stories in Rick Rubin's book, I must add, are less grinding and more gentle. Because getting into that state of being that Henri wrote about, I have experienced, can also be found in the contemplation of nature, music, the friendship with other artists and the love of our friends and even spending quality time with our pets and animals. But also the eastern practices of meditation and Tai Chi, Ci Kung. And lots of other gentle things that nurture and quieten our restive controlling minds. My personal way is to wander around my studio looking at paintings, contemplating them,some from way back and listening to them and often finding one that was never finished, and dappling with white paint here and there, or splashing it with a colour, and, bingo, voila ! I'm in
My creativity workshops in Italy are of the latter kind.
In the meantime, wishing you all a fruitful and laughter filled year ahead on this auspicious day of Imbolc, the return of the light
Michael
whatsapp +39 3283535358
email, micermice@gmail.com
