Nov 8, 2001
Whither oral tradition?
Stone sculpture is still an oral tradition. Don't ask me why. Most everything else from cooking to zen seems to have an extensive literature. Sure there must be other enclaves, but let's go down that garden path another time. There is lots to say for stone work to remain a primitive communication and expression media. Lots of us would testify that stone has a strong back-to-nature mystique and other primal ineffable qualities.
I think all this has merit. But for whatever reason, I am inclined to write about it. Alot of what I want to write is the how-to aspect. That's probably because it took me so long to finally discover how to carve stone. The second ingredient of my urge to write comes out of an insatiable inquisitiveness. In particular, my analytic bent.
Along with how-to aspect, my analytic side wants to answer the question, "what makes good sculpture at a profound level?" That creates an irony in my creative process, in my works of art. I aim my work at my inquiry. Another artist's work is not so introspective. Beware the problems of self-reference, or rejoice in them if you are a fool. Recall William Blakes's irony, "If A fool persists in his folly he shall become wise."
So many times I have experienced the most intense response to a piece of art when someone explains or talks about the context. Not only artwork. Maybe many things. Artwork certainly can stand alone and give its value. In some cases, many even, a piece is intended to be self-contained. Whether or not self-sufficiency is considered a criteria for art value, the effects of the story behind the work can be amazing. Perhaps there may even be a bit of snobbery behind expecting an art piece to be no more no less than itself. Who knows. But it is undeniable to me that I occasionally experience great revelation while listening to a lecturer tell the story while presenting the subject piece. No art work is an "island unto itself."
In counterpoint, when I sculpt, I expect my piece to stand on its own. Yet as I talk to people, I realize that even a few words pointing something out, or explaining some tidbit, opens the viewers eyes and awakens something.
So, I would not be dogmatic one way or the other about self-sufficiency. However, the thought that struck me to note this bit of info, is that perhaps one can focus on that larger approach of placing the art piece within a context. At the extreme, artwork becomes "illustration" supporting a story. Somewhere in the middle there must be ways to accompany artwork with more knowledge of the context into which the piece fits. Interesting bit of ambivalence here.
Here's what drove this point home to me. Artist shows slide of an upper female torso. Natural weathering and erosion disfigured one of the breasts, while the other was well formed. The artist explained that she gave the sculpture to a friend saddened from the results of her breast cancer surgery. The story and seeing the art work brought on a bout of crying I couldn't control. Neither, alone, would have evoked that kind of response.
Nov 30,2001
Stone sculpture tends towards subtlety. In fact there is a yin yang reason. On one hand stone is hard to shape intricately. On the other, stone holds a form as delicately as you want. There is a constraint and an attractor.
In fact, I keep getting startled by the exquisiteness of the simplest contours that stand out in a point-source light such as sunlight or streetlight. Since it is so often a surprise to me, it suggests that the artist must explore. And if the artist has a hard time seeing this newness, then certainly others will be less likely to see it casually. does the artist then work at setting the stage so that the newness is perceivable? That would certainly anchor things in a social era.
Having studied petrology (rocks) and learned to understand in terms of process and history, I now see that is a way of understanding other things.
Walking in the woods. Seeing the age of the trees.
the different ages representing different times the area had been affected in ways specific to that time. After an area is cleared, the alder grow first eventually giving way to a forest of evergreen.
Norman Lindsay on Art, Life and Literature
"Being one spring day in the life of an Australian boy".
"No doubt there are some rare moments when we are gifted with an extra sense, not of reason, but of refined perception - an Epicureanism of sensation in which is revealed to us the divinity of external things. Our eyes discard the slothfulness of habit. We see the mystery of trees and the enchantment of back yards; discover the magic of blue skies and find that cows are Nature's miracles. Such moments of true divination belong to childhood; for knowledge, the burden of age, destroys illusion. And illusion exists in externals. Nature made the tree a mystic thing, but man, in his madness, invented botany and destroyed its charm forever.
Near/far rapid reversal - an important carving skill and practice
Using feedback of the results of actions. Looking very closely (hair's width) at the kerf as you saw.
Most of the time you have to very deliberately peer closely at what the tool and material are actually doing as you work. All the while, tho, you have to keep zooming out to recheck the overall effects to get the next reference point you are working towards, etc.
Good question.
If art is being done for the artist's own personal reasons; whether inner compulsion, therapy, or just to work things out in their own minds, is showing it to others important? For some, this is the main thrill in art; for others, it's a chore to be dreaded. Can a work of art be great if nobody acclaims it as such? Or is it like the proverbial tree that falls in a forest unheard? Should an artist show early and often, risking ridicule for sharing half-baked attempts, or wait until she or he has come up with something truly earth shattering- maybe at the end of her life? Is it important to heed the reactions of others, or does this dilute the original impulse? Is art a form of communication, which only is successful if it gets to the widest possible audience, or is it more like Yoga, building on itself like spiritual power, but only to be shared with fellow initiates?
Felt realization - That enjoyable experience of breaking through in your mind, where new things suddenly come together. At the best of times, it brings hope and peaceful feelings that the future is good. At the worst, it is like washing your face in cold water, not only bracing you, but enervating you to respond to the whole situation.
It is the explorer's frame of reference, another mountain to climb, looking for that enormous panorama vista at the top.
Or a craftsman seeing how to achieve a razors edge on his chisel and feeling how clean and responsive the carving becomes.
But felt realization can happen anywhere. Imagine a lover awakening to the realization how important and fulfilling he or she is to his or her mate.
The more I think about it, the more it seems that other stone sculptors do not oral-ize their tradition. It’s actually paradoxical. During symposia most everyone shares knowledge freely. But they don’t seem to go back home and put it to words.
And I myself feel the exquisite subtleness of stone that defies putting into words. Very zen-like.
Zen and stone slow us down and thereby puts us into a long time frame. But if we are seeking excitement, where does that come from. It is easy to picture a zen master applying great energy to producing something. Another zen paradox - calm excitement. (And we’re using the term ‘zen’ liberally, more like the stylized western sense.)