The Sublime in Art

Over a few glasses of wine, a wise friend of mine articulated the sublime in art in a way that showed real understanding of artistic intention. I want to try and share the gist of it but apologies if I mess it up now that I’m sober... I’ve included some of the philosophical definitions at the end. 

My friend defined the sublime in contrast with the profane which is common and measurable and a thing that we can understand and comprehend with our senses and reason. Something that is sublime, on the other hand, is boundless, fathomless and impossible to define. We were discussing the Rastafari ideology of finding faith and inspiration within oneself instead of having a set of religious rules imposed dogmatically. The Bible for Rastas is a sublime pathway to a self-defined sense of rightness and my friend and I likened that to way artists often refuse to explain their paintings or artforms. 

Below are a few works that have very specific associations for me. They were inspired by a time, place, person or experience. When you look at them they may remind you of someone you know, or of yourself at times, or a memory, or an experience... My specific is not greater or more correct than yours so sharing my PERSONAL meaning is more likely to detract from your connection to my art than to enhance it. My painting should ideally be able to speak to you, perhaps even inspire you to a thought, feeling or action that is internally driven. You, the viewer, have the power to unlock the mysteries and meanings in each work that are relevant and specific to YOU.

The sublime is often related to a feeling of awe and humility before something much greater than our selves. It relates to the sense of being a tiny, frail and insignificant being but simultaneously being part of something enormous and important like nature and the Earth we stand on, the cosmos, or a shared belief and purpose. Art is sublime for existing through barriers of time and space that people can’t pass through to inspire and communicate with many people in many different ways. When we look at art, we can feel connected to its history and a shared experience but hopefully are also aware of, and value, the unique and personal interaction with it. Art won't always speak to you but I hope you will always try to listen.

Kant - Sublime shows ‘a faculty of the mind surpassing every standard of Sense.’ 

Schopenhauer - A range from beautiful to sublime that changes as feelings of danger and mortality increase while viewing art or objects.

Hegel - A formless aesthetic inspires an overwhelming sense of awe.

Victor Hugo - A combination of the grotesque and beautiful.

Jean-Francois Lyotard - Rhetoric and ambiguity of meaning reveals the multiplicity and instability of the postmodern world.

Roller Derby at Dr. Sketchy

Last Saturday was a good day for art and fun. Below are some of my drawings from the wonderful Dr. Sketchy session. Our models this month were the fabulous Richter City Roller Derby girls:

Kiri te Karnage, Isla B Damned, Skatchel Hunter, Lolo Morals, Princess Slayer, Skanda Lass, Orange Ruffie and Thigh Voltage. I love their bright outfits and kick ass attitude - totally hot!

I somehow managed to spill a little turps into my box of pastels. It melted the plastic in a pretty disturbing/impressive way. So if you have ever thought about drinking the stuff - don't ok? Have vodka instead. Mine went down pretty nicely as I sat on a cute little couch drawing. All around me were the bags and gear of the derby girls and - no offense ladies - some of that stuff stunk pretty bad! These girls work hard out on the track, racing and blocking and smashing each other around and they work up some hot, heavy (stinky) sweat. I'm not sure my drawings quite captured that? Its kind of Olympic cyclist, meets wrestling federation, meets pitbull, meets girls just wanna have fun... or something? With skates on. If you haven't seen a match yet I highly recommend it - great entertainment!

A link to Roller Derby Wellington: http://www.richtercity.co.nz/

Summer Drawing (Summer Bliss)

I am definitely a sun-loving lady and now the weather is turning and the temperature dropping for the Wellington Winter, I have started pining for my summer dresses and singlets. Winter is the time I like to hibernate. The vibe (for painting) is completely different. For a start it is hard to focus and relax into that blissful painting zone when my fingers and toes are going numb with the cold!

And this last summer was a great one... Here are three pastel drawings I produced along the way...

The first was drawn in my Mum's garden. She has the kind of garden I want one day. Its kind of messy and magical, spread over a hectare of land in Kapiti. She has fruit trees, veges, flower beds, chooks... birds and bees and butterflies, gecko's and frogs... lucky for me she is pretty generous at sharing it! Jalen (my son) and I pitched a tent over the Christmas holidays and came and went from the garden like it was our own private oasis. When I'm there, I feel at peace, and refreshed, after too long in the dirty, noisy city. The garden changes all the time as the seasons change and plants fade or bloom. This view of the flower garden has changed dramatically after the recent house move (Mum's cottage was near a stream that kept flooding but has now been moved to a hill like a little cottage/castle in the center of its king (or queen) -dom.) It is a beautiful spot all year round but especially bright and colourful in its full summer glory.

This second pastel drawing was made at Otaki Forks, a beautiful entrance to the Tararua Forest Park not far from mum's place. One of the nicest things about summer is that it can be a sweet season for romance. I had a yummy romance last summer! On this warm, sunny day my soon-to-be lover and I explored the river (the water was icy cold), talked, cuddled and had a picnic lunch. I didn't realise before I met him that dating a person who is creative like me would make a big difference to the way I feel about painting and drawing. I used to feel GUILTY! Even when past partners seemed supportive, I never felt that they UNDERSTOOD the driving need to create - how it grabs you - anytime - day or night - and can kind of enslave you for a while - get you excited - get you high. I could sometimes feel a partner's frustration, jealousy or boredom but with Dean it didn't feel like that at all. I found a beautiful spot at the river bed and laid out my supplies around me. Dean sat nearby with his guitar and played beautiful music, completely at ease with my attention being captured by paper and chalk, and totally happy to lose himself likewise in his playing. I could have sat there for hours. We probably did!

The third and final drawing is at Castlecliff beach in Whanganui. My son had a week with his dad so I took my tent, paint and togs on a bit of an art tour. Whanganui was the first stop up from Kapiti and after a long day of driving and painting I pitched my tent and had a hot spa to relieve my aching muscles (being an artist is physically hard work! At least it is how I do it!) I jumped out and threw a jacket over my togs as the sun began to set. Grabbing my drawing pad and box of pastels, I ran across the road in bare feet to capture the ocean view in the fading light. It was crisply cool and beautiful. Open sea and air from Whanganui to Australia. Just a few kms down the road was a spot where, earlier, I spent several hot, sweaty hours digging my car out of the sand hole I'd trapped it in. I was trying to find a sweet painting spot and the track I was driving on had seemed totally solid right up until the moment that it wasn't any more. And then it was too late. Luckily, some friendly holiday-goers came to my rescue with shovels and advice or, for all I know, my poor car could still be stuck there to this day. I never did get the painting done. So after an eventful day and a reviving soak,  I couldn't resist the subtle shades of the summer sunset fading over the beach. A couple had lit a fire, just as I did in Kapiti with my summer lover. Warm summer nights, bare feet in the sand, fires on the beach, camping out and digging the car free - these things make a blissful kiwi summer to me.