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Contemplative art
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Beauty, truth and goodness, essential qualities of the Divine, are ways in which divine unity presents itself to the human soul. Throughout history art was created in relation to its function. Art was never made purely for art’s sake. Modern and contemporary art is made and marketed as a commercial object and/or to be exhibited as a museum piece – hopefully. Almost all other forms of art in this world are not created with this purpose in mind. Contemplative art gathered its meaning or significance in a ritual or religious context, in the temple or at home. The ‘living’ context was essential.
Contemplative images are objects of meditation that resonate with vital inner desires, inspiring profound perceptions. This is a long-standing tradition in which images intermediate between heaven and earth. Within this tradition the images obtain their value as spiritual images, transparantly relating to a divine reality. Art occupies a special position in the Western world. In our culture art has been professionalized; the artist produces, the public judges the product. Therefore we have become spectators, consumers, holding a passive attitude in relation to what is offered.
But we are capable of observing in another way, by adopting a receptive attitude that undergoes, instead of observing from a distance. In that space, openness and receptivity arise, without any tendency to fix the image. The second commandment states: [Ex. 20:1-17] Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of what is in heaven above, neither of which on the Earth, nor of what is in the water under the Earth.
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Observing
“Making the invisible visible, the incomprehensible comprehensible, exposing the impermeable.” This might well be a phrase from Paul Klee’s writings, however it is part of a manuscript, found in Aken, dated 877 A.D. Images can have a revealing quality when the viewer lingers with contemplative images in an open and attentive frame of mind. Observing is all that’s needed; observing is what is called for – not the power of the imagination, just unprejudiced observing. Observing from a contemplative attitude is deepened by attention and neutralised by reasoning. However, physical observation alone is not enough – we need to see with the inner eye, thus contemplation is awakened, and partaking, sharing, participating are stimulated. Then we need to pay attention to what it is that becomes visible; to what we notice, to what is supposed. In this way we acknowledge observation as an activity. Each line has its own quality. Each direction, each movement, each tone is able to evoke something. Light/dark; vertical/horizontal; above/below; hard/soft; inside/outside; internal/external …. What seemed external appears to be internal, resonating inside of us. There is an exchange through which we can recognize internal phenomena [as existing] in the external world.
In this way observing becomes a connecting ritual. Unselfish observation relates, opens oneself for whatever is prepared to present itself. Thus we can do away with our habitual analysing, intrusive, classifying and interpretative point of view and start receiving meaning, instead of assigning it. For it is not what we understand but what captures us that is treasured in art and religion, that transforms us and opens us up further: creating a more intensified sense of reality.
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Owning beauty
These art works are not like objects to impose your expectations, or grab hold of. For ‘owning’ means disowning the spiritual essence. That is why they are not for sale – they cannot be owned. These works of art want to reveal themselves. By not trying to seize them and not expecting anything from them, each and every work of art will show itself – and every pair of eyes will perceive it in ever changing ways.
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For contact please mail : contemplativeartworks@gmail.com