Friday, July 9, 2010

A glimpse into the artist's soul

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significane." - Aristotle, Greek philosopher (382-322 BC)

As much as I love art -- various kinds of art -- it saddens me that my own artistic efforts never developed beyond my melted crayon pointillisms in 7th grade art class. My work did manage to end up in the family gallery of my childhood home, but I didn't inherit the talent my younger siblings obviously received. Still my parents (my mother especially who had considerable creative giftings) encouraged my efforts and fostered my interest in art. Before we newlyweds had a stick of furniture, they made sure we had framed art for our walls!

So I'm always thrilled to meet someone who possesses that true soul-of-the-artist. Rachel is one of those people. She's the new friend I've met through my online courses, my buddy at the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Conference, and a co-sympathizer through this MA process. She's also an accomplished sculptor and painter. I visited her St. Petersburg home and studio today and got a better understanding of what inspires her, what pushes her to create.

In addition to seeing her work, I got to see a bit of her past thanks to a photo album and portfolio of her past work and exhibitions. Rachel turned her back on academic pursuits at Boston University in the mid-70's and wound up in Jamaica where she created a new life for herself that included a husband, a baby girl, and a simple but contented existence in a grass hut overlooking the Caribbean. And Jamaica -- along with tragedy in her personal life (her husband died when her daughter was three) and a re-emergence of her Christian faith -- became the crucible for an artistic expression that has continued to this day.

Much of her work would be defined as abstract, but when she reveals to you the inner impetus, the vision or inspiration that drove her to shape a particular piece of mahogany or alabaster into a certain form, you see it! She believes her inspiration comes through her own devotional life, from the Holy Spirit. And she recognizes stages in her artistic life where different themes emerge.... hands, the nest, the altar... God's nurturing love, eternity, the spirit within...

Rachel loves texture, working with bits of metal or cloth or bone to enhance her work and give it depth. She loves blending images of classical mythology with Christian motifs. She's comfortable working with a broad variety of materials, creating works both small with intricate detail or bold and colossal.

She also loves studying the role of faith and devotion in the lives of artists, and we had a meaningful time sharing sources, comparing notes on where we are in our own lives, and how we're trusting God to reveal the next chapter. Whille sharing a lunch of tuna sandwiches, we also shared our fascination with the luminescence of Fra Angelico's Annunciation, William Blake's struggle with his own faith journey, and the challenges of going back to school at this stage of our lives. A memorable afternoon!

No comments:

Post a Comment