Art as Courage

I stole this word for word from the Art Blog at the Episcopalian Cafe'.

Art begins with the courage to make a mark—whether that mark is made with a brush, a pen, the hand, or the click of a lens. Whatever inclination or inspiration exists, it must be partnered with courage—because that first mark is the first breath of the creation of a world-view. With that first mark we are breathing a world-view in repetition, response, or even homage to that First Breath that brought us into being.

And what then, after courage? A promise to continue with this creation until it breathes its own breath, and dreams its own dream. And then, if it is after all to be art, that breath and dream must be recognized outside its own soul, outside its own creation—it must reach out to Other. The images seen above and below are of calligraphic art by Melissa Dinwiddie, who names this world-view she created “Kinetic Metaphor: Three Alphabets of the Self.”

Using marks from the Latin-based English alphabet, the Hebrew alphabet, and the imagined alphabet of her own internal language, she has brought into being a world where there is flow rather than separation, unity rather than division. This is a place you recognize as both of humans and spirits, new to you, but instantly also about you.

The intuitive use of marks and color in this three-dimensional space allow both tactile and spiritual considerations to speak to the viewer. And even though alphabetic tools are used skillfully, we don’t want to “read” here, we want only to “listen” and “feel” as we move as in a dance through the walls and pages of this world-view.

I was especially moved by the first paragraph of this article. The courage to make the first mark which is (to me) a metaphor to living life because in anything that we do in living life it takes courage to take that first step, to make that first move, to embrace that first occasion. If you are too wary to set the pencil to paper then you'll never sketch even a stick figure. If I am afraid to even attempt a new "technique" that has a proven track record then I am stuck in my life forever as I am. Something that must cause me to pause and reflect.


The one thing I didn't agree with in the above quote so brazenly stolen from the Episcopalian Cafe' - "we don't want to "read" here, we want only to "listen" and "feel". While I do admit that I love the flow and movement of this 3-D piece of art I (personally) am drawn to the writings and I long to read the alphabetic tools that are scrawled upon the surface. That, I imagine, is the difference between an artist and a writer. I am drawn to the piece instantly (thus my longing to recreate the entire blog here) but there is much more than the visual pull - the letters draw me into the world of the artist and I long to read what is written, to catch a glimpse into the mind of the creator of the piece, to understand her, to know her. I can never do that with just a visual representation - as much as I am moved by the piece in its entirety. No, to understand her I need to know what she wrote and why she wrote it. I am particularly intrigued by the use of "the imagined alphabet of her own internal language". You see, I too have my own internal language and have symbols that are used a an alphabet to that internal language. I know why my own internal language was created - I long to know the reason for hers. The writings upon the sculpture only increase my curiosity and cause me to re-examine the piece more closely ... over and over again. 


I'd be curious to know the interpretations, opinions, comments of others who read this post. Is it just me who is so attracted to the piece because of the words, the letters, the alphabets?