One of the many things I meant to write about while I was working on the Anonymous: The Diary Drawings series (see recent posts!) was the idea of glimpsing infinity. I know, of course, that infinity is a notion, a concept and not quite something that you catch a glimpse of, but still....the idea resurfaces each time I sit down to draw. The notion of glimpsing infinity lingers with me, so I will attempt to explain and see if the idea or the experience resonates with you.
A drawing, or any artwork for that matter, is created through a series of decisions....sometimes split-second decisions, sometimes ones that involve more contemplation and thought. What occurs to me as I am working is that there are virtually unlimited possibilities from which to choose. Any mark that I make could be otherwise, its location could be otherwise on the page, which might be of a different material entirely. If you do a little thought experiment and multiply the many tools you might use to work with, by the surfaces there are on which to work, by the placement on the page, by the countless colors that could be employed, by the ideas in your head....well, it makes me dizzy!
The idea that it's all been done before, that there is nothing new under the sun, doesn't quite hold water if you open yourself to all the endless possibilities before you. Multiply all those things above by all the different moments in time, by the various incarnations of the self that evolve over time....well, it really is endless. I can't buy into the notion that there is nothing new to say or any new ways to say something that's already been said time and again. The world is wide, the possibilities are infinite. There is always room for what you have to express, because each one of us embodies our own set of infinite possibilities. The marks and images that land on the page through the work of my hands are the expression of my experience....that's my calling...to make those marks. And your calling is to make those marks only you can make, through whatever means you have at your disposal....at any time and place in the sea of infinity.
Until next time....enjoy the possibilities!
Thank you so much for your inspiring thoughts. So is catching the movement, the movement in drawing, the second of taking a picture, the instant of feeling, is all this the aproval for infinity or is it the knowing of the "next step", whatever it might be?
ReplyDeleteAnd is it all a question of daring to create..."finally" infinity? Out of the "everything" that has already been and the everything that will come an form itself as new...Thank you for this kind of exchange.Its very giving to me.Best greetings from Germany, Taija
Greetings Taija! Thanks so much for your thoughts and kind words. You've posed some interesting questions. Just to respond quickly here, I might say, it's all of these things you mention. I think the notion of infinity is actually difficult to grasp, but what prompted me to write the post was the idea of being in the middle of the creative process...which for me, is drawing, and realizing that with any mark I make, out of my intuition or with more forethought, it is just one out of an infinite set of choices. As I mentioned, "it could all be otherwise". I find myself in a most humble place as I contemplate these things....the dizzying array of possibility can either paralyze us or set us free. I find that I feel free and in awe of the vastness. Thank you again for contributing to the exchange! Cheers to you in Germany!
DeleteMy 2017 word is "possibilities". The most fun thing about it is intersecting with different people thought the year that find it an irresistible word, as well:)🌻🌻To endless refusal of ignoring...possibilities! Laura
ReplyDeleteHi Laura....I love the open-endedness of the word "possibilities". It is irresistible and energizing! Thanks for the reminder to focus on what is possible for the future! Cheers...and happy spring!
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