My friend and fellow artist Kris asked the question where "self" was located, in the mind or in the body somewhere.
I love this kind of question, because there is no wrong answer really. There is, as yet, no way to locate an abstract. Its like locating the subconscious.
My thought on this was that no matter if you could find the location, or if one even exists, of the true "self", (for example, if there will someday be discovered a microscopic gland deep in the unexplored parts of the brain that houses the self) you could see the self in physical, real world representation already. My thought was that you could see the representation of a person's true self in their honest, uncensored work. But that creating work that was completely honest and uncensored was extremely difficult and takes years and years of self exploration, failure, and the ability to recognize and accept your subconscious desire to change your work, whether in small or large ways, no matter what stage of success you may think your work is achieving.
To dwell on successes, in my opinion, is as bad as dwelling on failures. Your work becomes stale and predictable, and you lose your ability to feel the need for change. And if you do feel the need to change your work, you might avoid doing so.
I'm talking specifically about artists, because Im talking about myself. And I can talk about myself so well because I know myself more than I know anything.
Honest, uncensored work is, in my opinion, the best work. It's like an artist''s therapy laid out on canvas (for example. Not literally.) And what is therapy but a process of trying to work out your inner self, to be explored, recognized and accepted by you? And to find that, you have to be honest with your therapist and yourself. In my world, my work is my therapist, and Im trying to be honest with it. If I feel the need for change, I try not to ignore it. I try to steer my work in whatever direction feels right.
Looking at an artist's work to me, is like looking at a person trying to work their "self" out from wherever it resides. It's fascinating to me to see how an artist's work changes once they become technically proficient. Because once an artists learns to create at will, without having to be distracted by the constant struggle of learning the use of materials and tools, that is when they can start creating work which reflects themselves. That's when they can be comfortably honest.
We often talk about sea level. It is a useful concept. It gives us a base point for measuring elevation and depth and provides a simple, easy to understand model of the earth. Sea level is, however, only a concept, a useful fiction as it were. The surface of the ocean is anything but level. It bulges here and dips there and has a rough, constantly changing surface.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of self is similar. It is infinitely useful—so useful, in fact, that we would find it difficult to get by without it. None the less, you will no more be able to find an example of a "self" in the world than you will be able to find a level ocean.
At least, that's how I think of it.
True! I agree. But it's the trying to find it that's the real reward.
ReplyDeleteAs the saying goes; "It's not the destination, but the journey that is most important."
Or something.
Having thought about it though....If you think of the ocean as a glass of water, if it were to settle there would be a sure level. But the ocean will never settle. And I wonder if all the oceans and seas of the world were to settle, if theyd settle to the same level.
ReplyDelete