Social reform is an art and art can reform society. When we look at the soul of an artist and their art, we can find the way to peace.
–––
To observe
To perceive
To interpret
Focusing on detail
Magnifying elements
Illuminating connections to the whole
Entities others rarely shine light upon
Savoring time and space
Smelling the roses
Documenting
Presenting in unique and special modes and manners
The gifts of the artist
Given to the artist
Given to us from the artist
A prodigy at thirteen years
Sensing, understanding, knowing the beauty of the universe
In all its sounds, textures, fragrances, shapes, colors, movements
A small patch of orange blossoms by the edge of sidewalk
Trees after a brief shower
A leaf
Section of a leaf
Sunlight refracting beads of rain
Highlighting miracles of color, light, shadow
Angles, curves, folds, spaces between
Nuance to brilliance
Sunset through tall pines over Mediterranean seascapes
Yellows, Oranges, Reds, Magentas
Like flaming hills on a New England October day
Nature’s grace, elegance, and mystery
Grasped through the artist’s looking glass
I remember years before
A rabbi
His father, my cousin
In a sermon before the congregation
Speculating on the soul of the artist
Opposing common idea of heightened senses
Rather, opined image of sensory filter malfunction
Flooding perception like a torrent, like a burst dam
Penetrating, permeating, percolating through the senses
Filling the artist
With insight and imagination
Revelation and prophecy
Desire and passion
And yes, with obsession
Compulsion
To express, to narrate, to convey
To purge and cleanse from an inner core
And achieve stasis
Until the torrent washes over once again
The young artist at thirteen years
Any artist
Thrives in rich nurturing soil
And though not always understood by all
I give gratitude to the artist
Bringing us closer to Tikkun Olam
Having capacity
To transform, to heal, and to repair our world
In becoming a more just, peaceful, and perfect place.
Photo: asboluv/Flickr