Spread Around

ART CAN DO THIS

I did a lot of reading today and I was touched by an article in the newspaper (Volkskrant). The article is a part of a series of articles in which artists are being interviewed about other artists who inspire them. This time a dutch composer called Rijnvos was interviewed. He tells about the writer Italo Calvino influencing him. Especially the story of Mr Palomar, has been very important to him. Mr Palomar tries to define a wave in the sea. But everytime he comes up with a defenition, he realises that he's forgotten to include one aspect and he's to start all over again.

It reminds me about how I (and maybe a lot of other people too) am always looking for explanations, a final all inclusive answer or guideline to do something, to understand something or even to live my life. And just like Mr Palomar, at the moment I think I have the answer, another question or problem comes up, which turns the theory completely upside down.

MAybe there are no definite answers, only momentary ideas that float and change. The art of living is probably accepting just that and observing in a zen-like way the proces of changing while in the meantime you stay attentive to the moment.

Maybe art can be a way to learn to live with the eternal change of views on life. It can help us understand beyond the intellectual way. Art can help us experience, which is a broader and deeper concept than intellectual understanding. To be really looking at a piece of art, really listening to music or really reading a book is an activity that includes feelings, sensations and that activates memories which bring along other feelings and sensations.

Experiencing a particular piece of art can be different, will be different, everytime we do this. So we can understand it, make an explanation about it, but what the color does to you at this particular moment will be changing through time and place.If we are able to really feel this shifting and floating happening in us when we are being involved in art (creating or consuming), maybe it will help us accept the non-existence of real or absolute answers.