I like to read the blogs of writers like Barbara Nicolosi and Mary Catelli because I find that many of the creative problems and choices that apply to writers also apply to visual artists.
One of the recent blog entries I have really enjoyed is this podcast by Barbara Nicolosi at the Act One Storytelling Conference last October.
In it, she makes the case that the job of the artist (at least the artist aspiring to do work of real significance) is to leave the viewer/reader in some way haunted... haunted with some image that returns to them again and again, and that leaves them with something important to work out. She further strongly suggests that the key to this kind of significant haunting lies in the presentation of a paradox.
This is one element that I have more and more desired in my own work and that I understand to be lacking... in fact, I began to understand this a couple of years ago, but rather than calling it Paradox, I called it (to myself) Mystery. Truth in a puzzle.
Not that our job is to hide or obscure the truth... to set up some kind of arbitrary maze for the viewer to work through to get to the nut of truth we are hiding. The fact is that the truth can hardly be grasped except through the apprehension of some mystery... whether it be the mystery of the Cross, or the mystery of the The God in the Manger, the mystery of His strength perfected in our weakness...
The deep truths of life, if they are to become real to us, cannot be adequately expressed or fully grasped in diagrams. They must come to us, in some sense, as stories.
Very much worth listening to. The sort of creative homework that I have a little more time for these days (being currently unemployed).
I've been lurking around here for a few days...got here via. Mark Shea.
The fact is that the truth can hardly be grasped except through the apprehension of some mystery...
I really couldn't agree more with this concise statement.
I really like the artwork (particularly the guiness and pewter). I am sorry to hear you are unemployed...I recently came out a scary period of unemployment. My thoughts go out to you!
Posted by: nate | March 20, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Hello, Nate!
Tim doesn't make any money blogging.
But if you buy some of his art, you can enjoy the art AND his blogging!!!
Tim painted the gorgeous Madonna for me... shown in his earlier posts. SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE! Send Tim an email and ask his about his artwork.
Posted by: Del | March 26, 2009 at 09:47 AM