Saturday, April 30, 2005
Art and Spirituality
First, thank you Patricia for posting my explanation for a rather prolonged absence. My computer started doing weird things just as I was about to finish a poetry book manuscript, and well, that was a bit frustrating. But everything seems to be back on track now, and so entries will become much more regular.
Here is a quote about the relationship of art and spirituality which I found quite interesting. As most of us know, almost all art (music, dance, poetry, visual art) began as an expression of the sacred, outpourings dedicated to the gods. Through the years, art of various kinds has wandered far from its sacred source, but sill, there is an undeniable connection, a kind of continuing reverberation of the original impulse.
"The creative act is a courageous, ancient gesture, a dynamic prayerful exploration of the dark mystery that is human existence. When I finally identified this face of creativity as sacred practice, I built a small altar in my studio and my work took on a depth of meaning it never had. Prayer and art suddenly meshed and became refined. It wasn't done in pursuit of holiness as I'd been taught in the child's corner of my life. Prayer became synonymous with art as an authentic expression of my entire complex Self."
Adriana Diaz in "The Soul of Creativity," ed. by T. P. Myers
quoted in Nana Merrill, "Friends of Silence"
Here is a quote about the relationship of art and spirituality which I found quite interesting. As most of us know, almost all art (music, dance, poetry, visual art) began as an expression of the sacred, outpourings dedicated to the gods. Through the years, art of various kinds has wandered far from its sacred source, but sill, there is an undeniable connection, a kind of continuing reverberation of the original impulse.
"The creative act is a courageous, ancient gesture, a dynamic prayerful exploration of the dark mystery that is human existence. When I finally identified this face of creativity as sacred practice, I built a small altar in my studio and my work took on a depth of meaning it never had. Prayer and art suddenly meshed and became refined. It wasn't done in pursuit of holiness as I'd been taught in the child's corner of my life. Prayer became synonymous with art as an authentic expression of my entire complex Self."
Adriana Diaz in "The Soul of Creativity," ed. by T. P. Myers
quoted in Nana Merrill, "Friends of Silence"
