Why make art? Because I enjoy it! That’s what most people would say.
Though I do enjoy making art, it can, at times, be very frustrating and painful. So why do something painful and frustrating? I have to or I need to? For me, and if could speak for many artists, it might compare to taking a lover or a mate! Why make love or spend intimate time with someone? Procreation? For most people, procreation is a very small part of love or intimacy. There is more to love-making and to art-making.
Allow me to take you back a bit.
Following the first three years of art school, I left. After a particularly difficult and emotional period, I concluded that the world didn’t need more useless objects in it, and so, I threw away most of my artwork. (More on that later.) I went to live in the mountains for 4 years at a Buddhist retreat center. It brought me peace-of-mind and sanity. I spent my days meditating, and working: chopping wood and carrying water.It was just me and my mind, the sky and mountains, and others such as myself, doing the same as I. Our routine: wake up, meditate, work for 4 hours, meditate, sleep. It was a simple life.
However, after a while, I started making useless objects again. I couldn’t stop myself. Soon I carved out a small studio in an empty area behind the water filtration room. It may have seemed to make no sense – to go off on my own, “just” to create art. If on the other hand I had said, that while I was there I met this amazing person. Often we would sneak away to make love in a little room tucked behind some machinery. Most could understand and identify with it! Some would even exalt that.
(To be continued…)
