Ode to Richard Serra: Infinite Space

Richard Serra (American, b. 1939). “Institutionalized Abstract Art, 1976/2011.” Collection of the artist ©
(This was my favorite piece in the exhibition although I loved all of it!). 

Art inspires me deeply.  When someone creates anything that inspires, moves and touches that part of me that is perfect, the part of me that is divine...that is art for me.  And we all have a part within us that is pure and divine.

Speaking of definitions, I saw a Richard Serra exhibition today at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Richard Serra Drawing:  A Retrospective.  Richard Serra is one of those multi-talented, brilliant artists that defies definition.  The first contemporary art exhibition in the grande dame of museums in the United States, the Metropolitan Museum of Art,  has ever exhibited is the Richard Serra exhibition.  I had seen some of his sculptures in the past and I love his work.  I had never seen his work on paper until today.

This exhibition made a huge impact on me.  So deep it's hard to put into words. I have seen other works by painters such as de Kooning and Pollock in black and white.  My own humble drawings are also in black and white so that alone resonates strongly with me. There is something about the contrast of white against black and black against white which leaves limitless space in between.

Richard Serra is beyond impressive...to give you a sense of how infinite he is, he says:

"If I define a work and sum it up within the boundary of definition given my intention, that seems to be a limitation on me and an imposition on other people on how to think about the work.  It has nothing to do with my activity or art.  The significance of the work is in its effort not in its intention and that effort is a state of mind, an activity, an interaction of the world." (I may not be quoting exactly, I looked at a book in passing.  I have to get it. It's called Richard Serra Drawing: A Retrospective, Menil Collection).

Something else he said as he described the San Francisco shipyard where his father worked as a pipe-fitter as another important influence to his work, “All the raw material that I needed is contained in the reserve of this memory which has become a reoccurring dream." What Richard Serra says is like poetry to me.  I understand it.

His thoughts speak to my soul.  His work speaks to my soul.  Thank you, Richard Serra!

We may be from the same planet.  So happy to know I'm not alone.

Beyond Representation, Venice Notebook 2001, Richard Serra

If you are hungry for more as I am, below is a URL you may paste in your browser of a video where Richard Serra is interviewed by Charlie Rose.  By the way, Richard Serra was born in San Francisco.  His father was from Spain and his mother was from Russia.  His background is as vast as his thoughts.  Please note in this video the breadth of Richard's thoughts - and his emphasis on the "process of making".  And, when he talks about a "pipe fitter", he knows what he's talking about, his father was one.  Isn't it fascinating how what we are exposed to during our childhood shapes much of our future?

http://youtu.be/ngJeTA4CUSA



Note:  For my U..S readers, there is a  PBS program on Richard Serra this coming Sunday, July 7th, noon, Eastern Daylight Time.  What a treat!

Update:  If July 7th date has passed, please go to www. pbs.org to see if you can watch the video.

Heartbroken II

From TreeHugger.com

Loss is what causes heartbreak.  Loss of so many things.  Loss of a family member, loss of a friend.  Breaking up with a boyfriend that doesn't quite get it or being dumped by someone because I don't get it...also seeing so many kids and people being killed in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Norway.  I wrote in a similar fashion when nature unleashed its force in Japan in my post Heartbroken on March 13th, 2011.

Being a lifelong traveler, I know all countries have their beauty.  Their beauty is enhanced in my eyes when I have a friend from the country itself.  I haven't had the pleasure - although it's on my list - to visit Norway yet.  My friend has told me so much about his family and his country that I feel I know its pristine beauty and its down to earth culture.  It's environmentally conscious, people are very community oriented...there are countless great things about Norway.

Regardless of the country, destruction by nature or senseless killing is very hurtful to all of us.  Whether it's what happened in Japan earlier this year, the recent bombing in Mumbai, or this latest terrorist attack in Norway, it reminds us all not only of the fragility of life but of the constant horror in front of us.  On one side of the road, a beautiful garden.  On the opposite side, an abyss.  Yes, there is constant evolution in nature, lions killing deer to eat which ultimately sustains the ecosystem. There are earthquakes that will level a city and kill most of its residents.  It's nature.  While none of that makes sense and is painful to watch, I have more trouble reconciling myself with a human being destroying others for absolutely no reason.

We may find out this person was ideologically opposed to the government and to the political nature of the camp in Norway.  Who cares?  Everyone has a right to think what they wish about their beliefs!  What no one has the right to do is to act against others because of their religious persuasion or their ideological beliefs or their gender or their sexuality.

We are all the same.  Most of us strive to be happy, to love, to receive love, to live in peace, to thrive as much as we can while we are in this planet.  I don't understand violence and destruction aimed at other human beings at all.  It is very hurtful.  It causes anguish in my heart and in the hearts of millions just to watch it.

This has happened since the beginning of time but I don't get it.  The day I get it, I will be kicked out of the Idealist Society.

Love and healing to Norway!

Whatever...

Add captioconfluence.crbs.ucsd.edu:  Amygdala

When I was living in Los Angeles, one of my wisest and most profound yoga teachers would remind his classes constantly of the power of the word "whatever" in our lives.

This word has many meanings.  It has multi-faceted applications.  It is about moving on when you need to move on and saying "whatever" as a way to end the endless introspection and analysis that moving on from things we don't want to move from imply. It could about an ex-boyfriend, a nasty boss, an abusive family member, etc., etc.  It is also about deciding to let sleeping dogs lie when you know that while there is something that you could explore further - like being given the cold shoulder by a friend from no apparent reason - you decide it's not worth your time and energy for some reason coming from inside of you.  At a more profound level, it is also about accepting life's ups and downs without engaging emotionally in the drama of being either enthusiastic or in mourning depending on whether you are going up or down. Whatever rarely means to me that you don't care...there is an implication that there is a conscious decision one's made behind the use of the word.

I am feeling a little bit sarcastic today.  A friend just called about going to a movie.  This is a friend that likes to watch the kind of movies that are so disturbing I end up having nightmares for several days unless I consciously decide the plot is not believable.  She proposed seeing a movie tomorrow and I said I would research it to make sure it wasn't depressing.  I said, "I wouldn't want to throw myself out the window after seeing this movie since I live above a balcony".  I also made a couple of other similar jokes and she  said that my humor was a little dark today.  I think sarcastic is more like it.  I once read - I don't remember the source - that idealists are the most sarcastic.  I don't know how true that is although I would include myself as part of the Idealist Society, that very exclusive association where only sensitive and idealistic people are accepted.  There aren't too many of us in New York, at least I haven't met a significant critical mass of kindred spirits just yet.

I woke up with a funny sense of humor today.  Maybe my amygdala is more active today than other days - or maybe it's the pingala?

Whatever...

Truth

This is a truly infinite topic.  It has endless angles.

There is the aspect of truth that is about our truth, who we think we are and what we think we strive for and motivates us.  Then there is the aspect of truth of how people see us.  Do they see us for who we are or do they have an impression of the personae that we project, never truly being able to understand who we are?  And then there is the whole concept of what is real versus of what is not real.  The whole thing is very, very, complex.  Someone used to tell me:  "There's your truth, there's the other person's truth and then there's the truth".   To summarize, truth is quite elusive.

I go back to what I raised in my post, What is Real? posted on July 8th.  As I told my very best friend in the world "probably one thing we can count on as being real are our feelings". That means we have to trace back our feelings to the source.  Do we feel hurt because the person involved has been showing consistent disregard for who we are and we have reached our limit?  Or does it remind us of how we were treated by our parents when we were growing up - largely ignored?  The possibilities of the source of our feelings are endless.

It doesn't really matter.  The source is irrelevant.  It is impossible to trace back to the origin of our feelings.  Was it the nun that berated me for stealing a book I didn't steal when I was five years old?  That is an endless investigation that would drive anyone crazy.

So what's important is to feel.  To feel the hurt and to feel the joy and to feel the disappointment.  And to know that it's real.  And to honor that.  To feel is a luxury in itself.  With all the stimulation around us, it's hard to distinguish what we feel as human beings with what we are "encouraged" to feel by what the media presents to us on a daily basis.

Feel.  You are alive.  What a wonderful gift.  You can deal with anything if you choose to do so.  And, most important, be optimistic about your life.  It's all about building.  Building relationships, building confidence within yourself and building your life based on how you deal with your reality  today.

That's what I'm doing.  Stay tuned.

I Am

My birthday was last week.  I love my birthday despite the fact that the numbers seem to consistently go up.  I have decided that from this birthday on, my numbers are moving downwards, not upwards!  After all, it's my birthday!

I have had many existential dilemmas lately. I usually wonder about things like what am I doing here and why does this happen now, where will I be next year, etc., etc.  Basically, I am trying to find some logic to life and I mostly come up empty handed.  I explore unconventional avenues to find out more about the unknown believing that there is so much more out there that we may access for guidance.  Nonetheless, I still swim in murky waters when it comes to having a clear picture of my life and all of its complexities.

So I try to live day-by-day.  That seems much easier than trying to predict the future, even if we are talking about next week.

Going back to my birthday.  I decided to have a peaceful picnic by myself.  My family invited me to dinner that night and I wanted to just sit by the river - my most favorite place in the world is in front of a river or an ocean - and read the New York Times in the afternoon.  You would think you can't do that in New York but New York has everything!  Including the possibility of sitting by the river.  So wonderful!

Of course, a celebration would not have been complete for me unless I had a chilled rosé wine and ate a delicious lobster roll.  I could see boats of all sizes and colors parading their sails as peacocks parade their beautiful tails.  It was perfect.

Then the phone rang,   A very dear friend was calling me to congratulate me on my birthday from a far away land.   When we hung up, I realized that I exist to a great degree because I exist for my friends and family.  Not only because they care about me but because they remember me and they bring me into their lives.  I also exist for them when I bring them into my life when important things happen or simply when they reach out to me for help and I am there.  Present.

Still so much to figure out.  Understanding how I exist in my family's and friend's lives extends my sense of being to a degree I wasn't conscious before.  It makes me feel immortal in some ways because I'll always exist in their lives even though once I go to the other side I will pick up a different communication line other than the phone.  It will be a more direct and more constant way of communicating.  They will hear me if they pay attention.

How great is that?

I am sticking around in this planet to find out what comes next and where I make my mark in this world although I vividly remember how the other side is such an amazing place.  I still remember my pink elephants, and the infinite beauty of an endless garden with flowers of all colors and types.  I also remember all those crystal buildings with light shining from and through them (please read Pink Elephants posted on February 24th).  I have two earthly feet planted firmly on this planet and one spiritual foot here while my other spiritual foot is definitely home.  Not rushing to get there but it feels good to know it's there.

Always There

By Ruth Thompson

Lately I have had opportunities to appreciate how much I am protected from above.  My angels are the Archangels that are present in my life and my guardian angels that help me along the way.  I also have guides that are friends and family that are on the other side but that remain very connected to me.  I am very grateful for everyone's presence and help.

I have been feeling very protected.  I was experiencing quite a bit of turmoil and disruption and feeling exposed and vulnerable.  Unsafe.  Now I know I am protected.  I am extremely thankful not only for the protection I know I have but for being aware of it.  Being aware makes all the difference in the world.

Once I realized that I was surrounded by this wall of protection, I felt relaxed.  I went through weeks of being so relaxed I was unable to make decisions.  I have now assimilated the awareness of this layer of protection  in my life in a different way, in a very direct way, and I am able to move forward.  Having protection doesn't mean one waits without doing anything.  I am still accountable and responsible for my life.  Now I have a path, confidence and I am mostly optimistic. About 90% optimistic.  That is a high percentage considering the much lower numbers prevalent just a few weeks ago.

I can face anything.  I am protected. We are all protected.  It's very important to keep that in mind even in our moments of doubt.

How do we know that what is around the corner isn't so much better than what we have in our lives today?  I am willing to bet everything that it will be better.

Thank you, beautiful angels!

What is Real?

I was with one of my dearest friends the other day.  I don't quite remember the overall context of our conversation but whatever it was, I felt compelled to remind her that only our feelings are real.

In the midst of so much that goes on with our lives, it is hard to find the compass to let us know in which direction we should go towards.  It is not just about what happens in our lives, it is also about what goes on around us.  And there is a lot that is going on around us right now.  Just listening to the news reminds us of the mass confusion that exists. Whether it's about jobs, about climate change, about wars, about the dire financial predictions about Greece, etc., etc.  It is endless.  And sometimes it feels that we are at the edge of something yet to happen.  It's hard to assimilate all that goes on around us.

The one thing we may trust are our feelings.  At least for the most part.  I don't want to be contradictory but  I must clarify that we may trust our feelings when we are conscious human beings that are clear and mature about who we are and what we want.  I know, it's very frustrating.  How do we know when we are clear and being mature versus following raw desire or just fear?  With all the artificiality that technology has brought on, how many times do we need to pinch ourselves and others to make sure we are having a real experience/

For me, yoga helps.  It helps to get clarity of mind and thought.  And also helps me to recognize fear from my own truth.  At least most of the time.

Sometimes the answer lies in being able to distinguish between fear and desire.  Didn't Buddha state that we must be free from both? Mostly, it's about knowing who we are and what are the forces we inherited - or should I say baggage we carry? - versus our real, true, selves that we must honor.

Ah, the magic of living.  Much to live, much to discover, many roads to travel...endless questions.  Few answers.