The quote I pasted into my journal is by Thomas Moore from The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life , and it reads:
"I don't share many of my colleagues enthusiasm for wholeness. I like fragments and pieces, innuendos and suggestion. I expect never to feel like a whole person, because I'm so aware of the fragmented nature of many of my emotions, the plans I have for my life, the elements of character that are never fully present or rounded off. in the same way, I like to see sculptures of a goddess with no head or arms, or just a piece of torso. Temple ruins and the remains of a civilization make much more sense in pieces than if we were to come across a ghost town intact expect for the human citizenry.
Decay, corruption, falling apart, memory, traces of the past -- these are all aspects of life that are with us every day. They may hint at failure, ignorance, or some other imperfection, but they are a significant dimension of all kinds of life, including our own interior experience."
This morning I had decided that I would write something about my own inner search for depth and meaning in my art. I have several photos of journal pages that I wanted to share here and I randomly decided to post this one. When I looked at it closely and read the quote, which I had quite forgotten, it seemed amazingly serendipitous.
After several years of making art I have hit a point where I want to go deeper. At this point I don't know quite what that means but I am searching for answers. Part of this process has been analyzing what kind of art I love, what I'm drawn to, what makes me quiver inside. I have realized that I like fragments, bits and pieces that don't really go together in a logical way, but when put together in the same space by an artist develop some kind of synergy. I like the look or torn paper, fraying fabric, and multiple layers. Art that has some kind of mystery about it delights me. I think I love abstraction precisely because I don't know what it means.
It had not occurred to me before re-reading this quote, that the reason I am drawn to fragments, chaos, and complexity, is because that is so often my own internal landscape. Before I begin to sound like I need to be committed I will also state that I am also drawn to bright colors, and beauty. So now I have a better understanding of what I like and why. The tricky part is how to pursue these revelations as I make art.