Thinking about thinking

I took advantage of my proximity to the wonderful Phillips Collection last Saturday. I went to see the work of regional artists who were entered into the juried exhibition this year.

What I experienced was a profound reminder of the serendipity that happens when you create the right circumstances.

I ran into a friendly staffer whom I used to chat with when she worked at a local art supply store. She is now employed at The Phillips Collection. After we swapped stories about our own recent projects, she pointed me toward other works on display that she knew I would love to see (h/t Dot!).

I am so grateful she did!

The magnitude of the pair of works entitled “As Time Goes By” by British artist Howard Hodgkin stopped me cold. It was not because the art moved me or revealed a deep commentary, but because it allowed my soul to hear its own voice. (& inspired my next piece “Sheer silence.”)

I had originally come to see recent creations by emerging local artists. However, after spending time with Hodgkin—and, obviously, in the Rothko room—in addition to the masterpieces scattered throughout the building, I began to reconsider what I thought I had come to see.

I recalled that the art I love most, and am inspired to make, reveals something shared between my humanity and that of a viewer. What we are feeling (or seeking, or suffering, or longing for) at that moment is bathed and given attention by experiencing art in a way that connects us—each in our own unique way.

I saw a tiny board called “Strong Man” and another larger piece called “Trees” that were maybe 8” and 16” respectively, contrasted against these 30-plus-foot Goliaths. They didn’t require me to accept a specific story; instead, they seemed to cast my own life, thoughts, and emotions in a new light.

But that is just me.

This kind of art connects me with my human brothers and sisters in our common challenges, shared dignity, and the universal need to find our place in this world. .

Some of what I saw:

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