RedBubble

Very well said. That is the purpose of the Group I host, to give all an opportunity to explore their spiritually creative side. ~S

this is the third comment.

well said and so true

Great words – room for all!

Fantastic writing martin, indeed inspiring

This hits home with me and it is what i stand for , thank you for talking about this martin.
best regards

Al neaimi

What WISE and WONDERFUL words!!!!

Beautiful and so very inspiring!!! Thanks for sharing these wonderful words!!!

Swear Bears says
I see lots of big words but don’t understand any of it

hear hear.

One LOVE ….......

very nice martin!

So true, Martin. Thank for these thoughts. Agnes.

I agree with that totally, except the “increasingly fail to” part. Although, I can see how focussing too hard on one’s art may cause them to replace their God(s) with their art(s).

I disagree with the aforementioned phrase, because, for me, my art is part of my relationship with God. About ‘the pompous and arrogant’, I encountered someone this week who seems derisive of newbie artists. I won’t say anything more about that, however.

You can be proud of all that you have achieved thus far through RB, Martin.
On behalf of many of us here, i’d like to thank you for your vision and perseverance in bringing together a motley crew of rambling, crazy, creative souls, and offering an incredible platform on which to share our inspiration, ideas, creativity, and spirituality. I salute you!

Beautifully written, Sir

I create, therefore I am?

amen pilgrim, amen.

very deep and meaningful!
♥

all in harmony harmony in all

Thanks for your words, I agree with you. Spirituality is the key!!

your words speak to my soul….very well said:)

Fantastically said…bravo! :)

Very well said and your words make my day and my night, thanks

create | to bring into existence | to produce or bring about through a course of action | to produce through imaginative skill | to make or bring into existence something new

all of us are created beings | with or without the necessary intention, our parents’ sperm and egg met and began the process | if we come from creative, then surely each one has a creative nature and will produce things through imaginative skill, whether it is considered art, or a great idea, or a business opportunity | i believe that all beings are naturally inclined to create, only sometimes, through neglect or life circumstances are possibly unaware of what they were born to do | i am glad red bubble is accepting of all people everywhere who want to create and share | i am glad red bubble are unbiased in this way | i am glad red bubble aren’t elitist | I am glad i am here | i am glad to be accepted

In the great sharing, our fear of the void becomes transformed into a wonderful beauty infused with unknowable meaning.
That’s beautiful, Martin, just beautiful!

Martin, you write with such profound wisdom and soul….
Namaste…..your words are an inspiration and affirmation of my own truth…..

The mind need not connect spirituality with creativity. That they both seem to fill a void in the human psyche is true, but not absolute. Creativity can flourish in a completely open mind without incumbrance of spirituality or mysticism.

Will I be in the minority with this line of thinking? Of course. But that doesn’t matter.

I really enjoyed reading this. You obviously know this from experience.

Carl, I’ll join you in that minority …
“Creativity can flourish in a completely open mind without incumbrance of spirituality or mysticism.” I agree.

But Martin, your original piece was still wonderful in spite of your opening sentence!

I hav e doubts that the two are directly related. I feel that creativity and spirituality are linked through the search for what lies within the self which defines the limits of creativity and MAY lead one to be confused about the nature of spirituality!

This touches something deep in me. So I shared it with a friend and started to cry. Thanks Pilgrim.

So true. The Bubble has inspired me to write a lot more. Something I’ve always wanted to develop. It’s also caused much introspection about my spirituality. Of course the more I think about it the more cynical I get, but I am writing more about it.
Thanx for the motivation.

we only have to look at the caves in europe to see how early human was enticed to create and how art and spirituality became merged. i don’t create work for a god, but for people, and not to fill the void, but to be a part of this crazy, exciting world filled with great people.
you write beautifully.

Totally in accord with you Paul,

I also think my picture art is in symbiosis with the great Creator’s personal relation with me, my willing to catch all and everything that he put in this universe, all for us to see and admire, I want to picture does infinite moments of personal admiration, may it be a smile, shy, flower, ocean, grain of sand, everything that brings me emotions brings me closer to him.

wow, interesting perspective, and profound concept . : )

words of wisdom, to live, feel and emanate…;)

Truth uttered !!!! well said

A very true concept. Very well written.

I find what you wrote interesting and more so the reactions to it. People sometimes hear the word “spirituality” and think “religious”. I personally think that the most spiritual types are not religious at all. I grew up working with horses and always favored the high spirited ones. They always had an awareness and sensitivity that made my relationship with them something “more”. I think what you wrote is very articulate and there is much to be taken from it that can be understood as good without people getting their ire up in fear that they are going to be proselytized (?) by agreeing that creativity is akin to spirituality.

Beautifully written Martin. Thanks to RB’s welcoming, accepting and generous community, my creativity has grown immensely since I joined nine months ago. I am finally able to call myself an artist! Thank you all, you are inspiration!

There two books to read on this topic, one is OK, “The Spiritual in Art” by the painter Wassily Kandinsky and the other is essential reading, Paul Klee’s “On Modern Art”.

We are thinking,feeling, self-reflective, curious humanbeings we are compelled to share through expression of whatever inspires us to create – our thoughts, beliefs, crafts, art, words, movement….

Thank you Martin for sharing your deeply introspective thoughts on this…recently I have become confused as to if there’s room here for spirituality art to go well together…your words…”Both activities aspire to bring meaning into our lives. And, of course, through the ages art and religion have been deeply connect…” have given me a new hope…

I also feel the need to live both a spiritual (read NOT RELIGIOUS) and a creative life…

I have to agree with Swear Bear, I have no idea what you are talking about! But do I detect religious undertones? “I paint, therefore I am” Is what I’m all about. I do agree with freedom of speech, each to there own I say. I personally find my peace and harmony while studying plants flowers and portraying them with my paintbrush and oilpaints onto canvas. Of course the real thing is growing outside my window. But trying to work out who created it, well…... I personally find it a waste of time. Time, that I could be using, this beauty, to inspire me to create. Isnt that what it’s all about?

you see pretty good :)
I wish I could remember the writer to give credit
but alas ,I can only remember the words…” Art reminds us that we have a soul”

or something like that….

Well said Martin, well said!

If I can just capture even a bit of the beauty that our Creator has blessed us with, I have filled my heart with that beauty! Thanks for your words:)

Oh my great words… sort of along the same lines as I discuss in my ‘Thoughts” journel…. well written. Agreee totally.

How true! See some wonderful examples of just this from some incredible redbubble artists

I’ll play devil’s advocate here & point out that in the current contemporary climate, art that is intimately spiritual; (baring one’s soul) without a mask, a spin, or a split second grab is more often than not rejected because it challenges us to face greater creative truths & a change in the way we think…who really wants deep art?

I don’t subscribe to my own spirituality, however I do like to use my creative expression to explore what I’m capable of in my own mortality. I don’t see non-existence as a terribly dark place either – it is what it is, nothingness… something well worth exploring too!
:)

Well written Martin with loads of meaning, thanks.

Namaste :)

Pilgrim said “Enabling and encouraging more people to be creative is to shatter the priestly control of the arts” This priestly control as you put it, is not control rather than protection of inner secrets that humanity isn’t ready for yet, not everyone has the time to contemplate deeper realities, so these are kept hermetically sealed until the right time to manifest. It is always about healing. Those who want to heal will do so and not before. There is more “art” now than ever, also there is more illness. There is frivolous art and there is sacred art, the two rarely mix. The pompous and arrogant as you put it, is also erroneous, the uninitiated would steal everything if they could, without understanding the profundity of said truths, this is the cause of the current fallen state of humanity. People must earn their way into arcane secrets through immense hardship and purification. It has and always will be like this for obvious reasons.

An interesting comparison, well put. Broadening horizons is what it’s all about and art is a wonderful way to awaken new perspectives in ourselves and others. It is not about closing doors to those who push our boundaries!

I too do not understand all the big words, but I do know that spirituality is more about an understanding than filling a void (I have known Creator’s name since I was little but didn’t understand his love until I studied him). Art that is spiritual can stir emotions and thought in a person the same as creating artwork without spirituality can …it’s still in the eye of the beholder…I only wish for a response to my art!

Beautifully expressed. Thank you for sharing.

I think it funny that the drunken artist doesn’t see that they are another pebble on the beach, and that we are each our own zen. By being himself, he is exactly what he claims not to be. The waves in our lives come and go, effecting each of us a bit differentely, depending on how we perceive it. It’s all good.

A lot of what I create and write is a direct result of my relationship with The Lord. I share with others this way. Things that I sometimes cannot say I show through my work. I guess it’s not the same for everyone, but it’s the way it is for me:) Neat discussion.

I agree. Beautifully expressed!

Thank you for touching this fascinating subject matter, and expressing it so well. Art is definitely one of ways to express our spirituality, and thus these two are very closely bound together. One could perhaps argue that all art is in fact expression of spirituality to some extent or another.

One could perhaps argue that all art is in fact expression of spirituality to some extent or another.

You could argue that, but you’d be wrong :)
I’ll just put my hand up as a non-spiritual person, who still manages to express themselves with art. Hi all!

...that top paragraph was meant to be a “quote”. Ah well.

So very true!

“Spiritual” is indeed, for many, a loaded word, and although I do not subscribe to any particular religion I do believe myself to be spiritual being on a human journey. Art for me is a meditation, I see myself as being split into two people, one is drawing/painting and the other is observing. Quite often the observer can be harshly critical and judgemental which inhibits the artist to experience freedom of expression in it’s purest form, which in turn inhibits the actual drawing. Once that observer/critic can be silenced, and we are able to completely surrender to the moment, the process, the Now – we essentially become a paintbrush of the Source, the art is no longer created by us but through us – and during such moments I have never felt more connected with the universe.

My view is that it is impossible to imitate that which patently, and demonstrably, does not exist. Where you see “failure to believe” I see success for rational thought and empirical evidence. Where people see spiritual, I see the essence of what it is to be human, an evolved species on a compatible planet with the capacity for inquiry and imagination. I can communicate the human condition, and what it is to be a human participant/observer without resorting to pseudo-science, fantasy and the abrogation of responsibility for my own actions and existence to some invented, mythical creature.

I create to express and communicate. No more than that. Any image I make is but a conduit or a catalyst to establish dialogue between me and the viewer. Real people communicating through real images of a real world.

I agree that the spiritual/creative side to life is very important, but often ignored, sometimes through fear of the unknown and sometimes because to acknowledge this spiritual side to life may mean we have to take more responsability for how we live and treat the world beyond ourselves.

Only in recent history and in what we call the “civilised” world has human-kind decided to go without “gods”, are we really more advanced than our ancestors?

Bravo,nicely stated

Thought provoking! out of creativity comes awareness which in turn can initiate spirituality

Wise, warm, enveloping words…..........I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment Martin…..... Very well written.

Well said, Martin!!

I agree, is important to communicate through art and through a positive dialogue and constructive.

utterly exceptional writing. oh yes…
“Art and spirituality, it seems to me, occupy the void created by human beings’ consciousness of their own mortality. ”...
well… WE WISH!!
no no… really WE WISH… that is what we are doing perhaps… wishing.

though i am and remain a passionately dedicated, fiercely zealous atheist, the most common reaction i have to my ART is a spiritual one.

Very melodramatic Martin, but why do you assume that non existence is terrible ?

RB preaching to the masses again….

Beautiful ending. I believe that a wise teacher teaches through approach, not avoidance. He does not emphasize what you must avoid to escape from harm, but what you need to learn to have joy..you provided us with that towards the end..

insightful, meaningful and beautifully put
Martin!

Great words of thought.

I second Alex Talmont’s comments. Given that no-one can demonstrably prove what noon-existence is like for any being, why assume it is a negative thing? Fact is we don’t exist, then we live, the we don’t exist. That’s the way it is. It is neither good nor bad. It just is.

I am also disappointed to see proselytising of this nature from the official RedBubble identity. Individuals are, of course, welcome to hold whatever beliefs they choose to, no matter how deluded, however the official voice of RedBubble should be cogniscent that people of all forms of belief (or none) are present here, and I firmly believe that a secular approach to communiques is the only equitable way for the official voice to conduct itself.

I have to wonder what the response would be if atheists proselytised in this manner?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship between spirituality and art so I’m glad to see the subject brought up. However, I can see how some of the wording used here could be a bit polarizing. Hopefully this article promotes some healthy discussion and debate rather than a flame war ;)

spirituality is how you create it, how the mind relates to it, and how people see it. If
you believe its spiritual, its spiritual!

Atheists claim some sort of neutrality from spiritual discourse but a brief foray into recent history shows a darker side to atheism. last century…michael ‘trow da ball’ parenti: claims that China killed 1,200,000 Tibetans, including monks back in the sixties, including a couple of hundred a few months back, just for having an opposing opinion. Stalin killed a staggering 35,000,000 of his own comrades, Pol pot: killed a mere 2,000,000 … hmm who’s left ? Christians: did their fair share during the crusades, and after that their blood lust wasn’t sated so they headed for the Americas, and wait for it, one hundred million!! Native Americans and still going…so I don’t think any “group” has it over another. Every religion except Buddhism has committed atrocities in the name of deity, too many to list. So who has the moral high ground?

just paint

Beyond The Flesh and Beautiful…

and the second comment down at this: site, is also a good handle of beliefs and killing, not forgetting Science and its adherence to “purity” of high ground, inventing and dropping atomic bombs on innocent civilians, including the making of agent orange and cluster bombs including Depleted Uranium (which is radio active for half a million years) and is sprayed throughout Kosovo, Iraq, forbidden under the Geneva convention full stop.

well put Rebub

What is Art?
What is spirituality?
Could not the simple act of being, though not trying to be (as most people do in this world), be seen as Art? and the pure honesty in this act of being seen as spiritual?
Having to fit in, is the act of TRYING to be… Belonging, to self an others, by simply being, without effort, is the spiritual art of self.

I wonder….
How can I put into words things that are not even known by my own soul?
I have read all the comments…the seem to have come to a rush of “beleives and faithful condiments”.I have felt much more aquiescency than diversion or even sincere thoughts confrontation. A soothing convinction that what Martin has told has its value because it is “singing” in our heart. And then…we feel happy because another someone has met our own. That is valuable….and belongs to human souls. Looking for the akin.
I do not think this way. I cannot beleive….even using the “common sense” that human creative spirituality…or even spirituality is trying to fill any gap or void or whatever. Not at all….that would be fine…if we really “would consciously know” that supposed to be void…but we do not. From what I have read from “brain behaviour”...we cannot appreciate, nor love…anything that is not already in it. The problem is that we cannot see what it is really inside the brain because that would mean that we could be object and subject at the same time which is nbot possible. So all our art and spirituality emanates from our own being…our unknown projected brain either individualy or collective. When one does not “beleive” in any “humanized” religion or god is really difficult to converse from an impartial from of view with the beleivers. That is why I agree with Alex and furiousennui about the subject. Disregarding of course that Martin would try to make proselitism…he is talking from his heart and I appreciate that.

“Gods we fail to beleive in”....why mixing faith, gods….with spirituality.?
What if “gods” are the most expresive “intelectual spiritual art” that we have ever met.
But so it is sex…not in western spirituality but in other different ones. Or animism of several kinds….Well…I leave that. This debate is not ended. And Martin has opened a door…hope is not the “Pandora´s Box”.
I must tell that I thank Hop Dac for the two references for books relating Spirituality and Art I am going to look for them. Getting informed….diving ito them. It is adding not an opinion but a direct invitation about learning more.
Thanks.

And for you Martin….I hope that this massive response about your topic has given you satisfaction.

Kind regards.
Rosa

God is love.
reverse it.
Love is god.

Arthur C. Clarke (author of 2001: A Space Odyssey) said: If we evolve to the point where we no longer need our bodies, all that’s left would be a spirit.
.....and he was an atheist.

I just cannot say how SPOT ON you are Martin. Photographers celebrate the essence of life by capturing the moment. It takes alot of spiritual conscience to realise a great moment.

a lot is two words. not sorry. swore i would never let that one go.

I actually get offended when people ascribe my successes to some invented concept or fantasy super-natural being. It takes not one jot of “spiritual conscience” (sic) to take a great photograph. It takes technical knowledge, practice, experience and being in the right place at the right time, perhaps, but there is nothing spiritual to me about using technology and physics to capture a scene.

Martin,

I am relatively new to the world of show casing my art, although I have been a writer and painter since as long as I can remember (with varying degrees of competency).

I believe there are two sides of the coin; driven by commerce v driven by expression.

I have created both and it is the collection of pieces that came from my desire to connect with my own inner thoughts, or created to exorcise a certain feeling, or in celebration of the beautiful connectedness I have with my deities… these pieces sing to me afterwards and surprisingly collect the most comments from fellow bubblers. Those I create because I think ‘they might sell’ are like songs played at the bottom of the ocean and are alien to me despite being created by my own hand.

In my humble opinion we are lucky as a race to have this medium of expression, be it through the written word, depiction of form, dance… all facets of expression are a gift. Spirituality and true art are inseparable to me. Art offers me the chance to say what I wish to say because I can create the depth and complexity of the riddle. Done well and those who share such emotions will call out in recognition, whereas the Merchant with a head for gold will not read from my hand what the heart has told.

You have written a brave and wonderful piece here. To trigger but a single thought in the minds of others, be it in dispute or support, is to have validated our decision to talk.

Blessings.

Well you certainly gert got people stirred for for or against here, but that I suppose that is the human condition, I can only speak for myself and my art is spiritual in the sense I feel connected to the universe and paint straight on, seldom thinking out beforehand what the motif we be or sketching outlines beforehand.
Spriritual yes but nothing to do with religion, there is a big difference her for me at least. Thks for the journal, Martin

What a great and interesting discussion this is. I am trying to keep pace with all the comments and am feeling quite intimidated by it all. Just fascinating and so insightful.

Nicely created debate

I’m still new to RedBubble and feel joy at being included in the activities here. Being able to see and explore what other people are doing is a marvelous thing.

Well said and plenty to think about, Joseph

Pilgrim, your writing is thought provoking for many, some may learn from others or maybe not. A written word or an arrow fired,it lands as it does. Please avoid being intimidated as you did drop this amid a myriad of artists where perspectives are as numerous as imaginations. As for the spiritual side, ‘God created man in his likeness and man has returned the favour’.
For whatever reason, which is not for me to know, I died many years ago from electrocution, against all odds I was revived with full recollection of every moment, which gave me a unique perspective of life/death/spiritual beliefs, and I guess art.
I’ve said enough for now, be good to yourself :)

As far as I could tell, there was no implication in Martin’s message that the relationship between art and spirituality might be symbiotic; I believe his explanation was that it was one of “purpose”.

Where, however, do we feel the urge to create begins? From what source does it rise, to grab up our creative faculties?

But that’s a different story, I suppose.

(By the way, I would say that, for myself, I do believe the relationship between art and spirituality to be symbiotic. And perhaps not just in its creation, but in its apprisal. How artistic is that which only stimulates the mind, for instance? Or that only causes emotional response?)

meaningful words, nicely put

Dear Martin,
Thankyou for this post on art and spirituality which I broadly agree with. But what I don’t agree with is that any kind of division can in some way make a whole. There is surely no difference between the I, the we, the our and the they who share their art.

I am interested in race art identity which are all about image. When I confront a white person and mention race I am aware that I am touching the void you mention – the space which marks the limit of myself/himself. There is a moment where a change or communication might happen. A creative moment perhaps…but by and large this does not happen and I am viewed with both pity and suspicion.

Art in the form of image communicates in a way that words do not. For image talks and transcends the death of ourselves. Art is paradoxically nothing and everything. So is identity, so is race. And so is spirituality.

Isabel.

What I have learnt since I’ve been on this site is more to do with race and art, which also touches spirituality.These issues come together in image. Race is the colour of the skin I’m in and art is about image.
When I speak about race to a white person they are confronted with the void – the death of their own image of themselves. At this point

The last bit shouldn’t be there…it’s where I began to write!!

Pilgrim, you’ve definitely set the tone with your beautiful powerful turn of phrase and this discussion seems cathartic for many, but I’m getting the impression everyone has there own unique perspective on life/death and spiritual belief. Without defining what we mean by Spirituality how can a debate of this nature be any more than the sum of its parts?
As far as ‘art’ is concerned, I believe it is an empty vessel. Be it words, notes, paint or stone, its all down to what you are trying to communicate, and how successful you have been. It can be profound and life changing, or just selling you something. (well that’s my definition anyway.)

Well said Martin. To me, life IS an art… and for me, art is life :)

Hail

Everybody has the right to art.

Here! Here!

Superb statement that I agree with. Your going to have those who must protect the forbidden knowledge from those that need it most. The protectors are consumed with their own self-importance (or righteousness). Spirtuality and creativity is what makes art and not just a lifeless flat void picture. Every artist has that spark of the Creator and they endlessly try to create in their response to the gift of life. Most of the time we copy and re-state what God has already done.

Cheers Pilgrim… very nice!

When I feel inspired, I create… when I’m creating, my spirits are lifted… I call it… “Creative SpirituARTism” ...but that’s just me!

found this very interesting and relivent,what we need all of us is the foundation of truth,(truth) this foundation enables us to make sence of us as people and the void,the world we live in and our god given talents and expeessions.
We are spirtual in the pyhsical we are fallen yet reflect aspects of beuaty!.

Our god created us in his image the image is spiritual in it’s atributes working out in a pysical body ,we had perfection with him in the garden!!,sin seperated us and the void began,,we still hold his image but lost the relationship,Jesus said he was the way back the truth ,he fills the god void the empty whole with in.
He was the truth bringer the salvation from the fall and it’s pycical and eternal cosiqences
The void is real very real,we search to fill it with all thing and some good thingss

But it’s a void of relation with the god of creation !!we barr his image but not his presence
In the internal void.unless we recieve him true his son who died to take away sin and restore the void of seperation.
He said he was the only way.truth is paramount and freeing a sold foundation in which to view the sea of opinions and voices!!.

Thy word is truth.we long for it in all relations ,god claims he is truth and will tell us truth .
Up to us to listen.
We can’t get away from the fact that we create and capture creation in art etc,cause we reflect him. But the void well .salvation the key.

I must say that after reading your statement, I wanted to run screaming from RedBubble.

Main Entry: spir·i·tu·al·i·ty
Function: noun
Pronunciation: “spir-i-ch&-’wa-l&-te
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
1 : something that in ecclesiastical law belongs to the church or to a cleric as such
2 : CLERGY
3 : sensitivity or attachment to religious values
4 : the quality or state of being spiritual

There is no denying that spirituality has everything to do with religion and I definitely don’t come to RedBubble for any sort of spiritual purpose. I’m here for art, finding others who are like-minded about art and sharing what I enjoy with others who enjoy the same things. I do not believe in organized religion.
I do believe in “to each their own” and free speech, so here is my free speech you can take it or leave it, of course.

What really annoys me about this discussion? I have spent the last bloody hour reading this and I still dont understand much of what is being discussed ! You all seem to be chasing your tails! And going by the tone of ‘Pauldrobertson’, I think I will just get back to my studio and have some fun!! Art shouldnt be Religious, Political or Race driven.
ART IS MEANT TO BE FUN, SO STOP THIS BICKERING AND HAVE FUN !!!

if you ever want to stir the pot just bring up religion (spirituality? ) or politics…But I am thankful for forums where diversity of opinions and expressions can flourish. And I’m glad you Martin have the wherewithall to express yours.

carry on :)

Just one last comment before I go.
Remember Van Gogh once ate all his oil paints, because he said, “God told him it would cure his epilepsy !!”

If I tell you I’m an athiest and it makes you angry. That is wrong. If I tell you I am a Christian and it makes you angry. That is wrong. If I tell you that my art is an expression or outflow of either… what is wrong with that?? Being angry with people for what they believe is wrong. It leads to prejudice, hate, war, and killing. Stop being angry.

Such amazing words of wisdom, i totally agree!

I think we should all commend Redbubble for just letting this debate happen. Many other sites would crush this is a heartbeat, for what ever reason. Whether we believe or not, discourse such as this is a healthy thing.

Creativity is my spiritual practice.
My spirit is nothing without creativity and my creativity is nothing
without practice.

Practice how you play to create everyday.
Make your creativity
play.
Play today.
Practice what you play.
Hear what you say.
Say what you may.
Create today because
Tomorrow is too far away.

I love wozza. LOL

Wow! Deep stuff! Thank you for voicing what some of us felt we knew, but couldn’t put into the right words! memac

If aliens were to drop us by tomorrow, and say something like “Show us what you got Humans…”

What do you think they’d be most interested in? Our Religions? Our Arts? Or our Sciences?

“both activities” ?
Art is an activity, but both creativity and Spirituality are not activities but states of being.

“occupy the void created by human beings’ consciousness of their own mortality” ?
I personally have no such void, as I know that I am immortal.

“the gods we increasingly fail to believe in” ?
You are making many assumptions! I not only ‘believe’ in the existence of God, I know for certain that He exists. It is not that we imitate God with our creativity, but that we are enabled by God to create.

very thought provoving !,pass the patron and a pen and you will get aesthic’s with some missed spelled word’s ,you should all know that art and spirituallity exist in all of us 1 plus one equals three ask my girl and my daughter it all defies the law’s and logic as we know it ,just turn your emotion’s and tought’s into mass. do we really need such a long explanation just look in the mirrorr people , hey! thank you for sparking me to comment.

simple reflections of the creator and the creation art is one and the same. our minds long to connect . I am. Art is. I am a reflection of art and art is a reflection of me. One and the same. Spiritually the point before creation and after with the experience(life) in between.

I always love to read about your interesting views on art. :)

I wasn’t going to comment but I’ll throw in my 2 cents worth :)

I’m sure you all know that in childcare we help children develop their physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social skills. Did you know we also support children in their spiritual development?
We define spiritual development as a “sense of awe and wonder”.
Have you ever seen a child’s eyes light up from watching bubbles floating in the air and reflecting the colours of the rainbow? That’s their awe and wonder, and it’s what we try to promote and develop through their creative play – especially activities such as finger painting.

I like that definition of ‘spirituality’ and I think it comes through in everything we all create.
I’m sure you’ve all experienced seeing creations of such beauty that they take your breath away.
It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.

very philosophical isn’t it

I create to express and communicate. No more than that. Any image I make is but a conduit or a catalyst to establish dialogue between me and the viewer.
FuriousEnnui

I just wanted to highlight this comment, because he has expressed something that I failed to address in my own comment.

I think it’s more important that we learn to communicate with each other more effectively rather than trying to capture a perceived “Creator”’s creation. It’s kind of like letting someone else sign in the bottom right hand corner of your work.

couple of quotes heh…
thanks man, appreciate it. i would recomend to you ‘the history of atheism’ tis an awesome documentary and most sensible and balanced…
can’t remember its formal title sorry, there were 3 episodes and it is a bbc production i believe. thanks again…
oh and a quote from epicurus and also thomas payne:

Thomas Payne: COINED ‘UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’
“Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half of the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.”

Is god willing to prevent evil, but not able?
-then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able but not willing?
-then he is malevolent.

Is god both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing?
THEN WHY CALL HIM GOD?

Why should I fear death?
If I am;*
Then death is NOT.
If death is;
I am not.
Why should I fear that which cannot exist
When I do?

EPICURUS

and another one or two…

Devil’s dictionary – FAITH: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.
Bierce of course

I think the same….........Annalisa

WELL SAID,BRO!

Art is the RARE form of COMMUNICATION that each artist possesses. We communicate all the things that shape and influence our lives. If we are influenced by Spirituality then it is in our Art.

Well yesterday was a big birthday (age wise) and since we had a minor hurricane , I had time to think without the distractins of tv , computer etc. and ironically was thinking about my spiritual feelings and beliefs. I have to agree with almost everything you have so beautifully stated. thank you for finishing my thoughts from yesterday .

Thank you

To Pauldrobertson:

That which we call “evil” is man’s doing, not God’s. In truth Good & Evil are two sides of the same coin, with our limited earthly vision bound in matter we inhabit an illusory world of Duality, whereas the reality is One. We only perceive things in terms of good & evil because of Duality. That which goes awry and which we term “evil”, is always without exception due to man’s error, attributable to man’s deviation from God’s law. Interestingly, Thomas Payne is paid tribute as a greatly spiritual man, by a spirit guide communicated under the name of Silver Birch (‘Teachings of Silver Birch’ – Spiritual Truth Press, Surrey, England 2006). Silver Birch goes on to describe how through service to mankind even an atheist can do the work of God, without even knowing it!

Thank You !! all the best !

Thank You !! all the best !

Thank You !! all the best !

Thank You !! all the best !

Art is the direct communion to and from yourSelf…or God if you prefer. All art is divine. It is only us who give it other meanings, make judgements, score and evaluate. Just enjoy the process, creativity is life.

Mr Smithers I don’t agree that “all” art is divine. It has the “potential” to be many things. Divine is another realm. One has to find out how the mind works first. If there is an “absolute” reality as opposed to a “relative” reality then one must experience this “absolute” reality first.

I plant trees, garden ,do art because it allowes me a a piece of imortality.

YES!
i feel the well meaningness of your words….the obvious intention brought forth by the creation of red bubble…..and…........i practice my appreciation of my place in the creative construct of it all by creating. i can’t help but create. it is my life…..my way of sharing and showing how pleased i am with this heck of an amazing gift called LIFE!

You have 4 choices when deciding what/whom to worship: 1. Yourself 2. Other people who are going to die just as you will. 3: A dead god 4. The living God. You decide and
then keep your big flapping mouth shut about it. Wait a year and choose a different one if you do not like what you have chosen.

The statement is worthy of discussion. The gods we often emulate or describe in art and do not understand in are really the projections of the spirit within us that we fail to identify,grasp or clearly recognize. My theory is the creative energy within all of us somewhere is really ancient energy in biochemical form that all people are capable of sensing and then eventually channeling into works of art through physical and psychic energy if they choose to make art a path on their personal journey through life. The oldest known sculptures (4000B.C.) are the stone funerary figures found in the Cycladic Islands off Greece, the first European civilization. When you look at these sculptures one can see that can appear like modern abstract sculpture. They could possibly be images of alien visitors to earth who when appearing caused the people to begin to worship them. It is unknown by historians. I myself began making such figures before being aware of these ancient ones. The only inspiration I had was having viewed Egyptian stone work and modern Navajo Indian stone work(Allan Houser). Upon working these sculptures in limestone and marble I remember that I felt a strange sense of power in the process which seemed to drive me intensely to it’s finish and with little or no reason or any pre-design. So this is proof that there is really spirituality and creativity as an energy in all people that could only be best described as humanity itself.

Thank you for this!!!

@... Caren Schwartz, Alex Talmont, FuriosEnnui & Caren Schwartz…

Martin (aka Pilgrim) isn’t the messiah, he’s just a very naughty boy.

Fantastic post.
Thank you for sharing

Snakedog:

The oldest known sculpture is the Great Sphinx, now dated by geological evidence to approx. 10,000BC (see: ‘Fingerprints of The Gods’, Graham Hancock)

Photography is an art form that allows the photographer to capture a feeling within, a mirror of the soul at that time.

Capturing that moment for eternity, with the wish to share that moment. The greatest accolade for any artist if the emotion, which was felt by the artist and displayed in the image, is projected upon the observer (viewer) .

The only thing that is holding some of us back from mirroring the feeling of beauty we experienced when pressing the shutter, is our lack of technical expertise.

Many have achieved this and I bow my humble body in admiration

you say that you KNOW that god exists. but that excludes and presages an abolute, the very same that you condemn. it is a fundamntal problem with faith, and for once not because it is used as an excue for war or whatever else nasty some lunatics are pretending the major religions condone.

i feel an utter surety a completeness in the knowledge that god does not exist.

however, i truly do everything, an unusual amount… well ok i am very into it – to understand religion and ritual; faith and prayer.
and i even feel some kind of envy for the peace that must follow from feeling absolute certainty that you contunue into an immortal realm.

i will go kicking and screaming.

as for your second post- yes fair call my friend, you are ovbviosuly well read. thomas payne was not an atheist. deism WAAAY different. i was misinformed. gotta cross referrence to hope for an answer that will stand scrutiny.

there is no difference between categorically stating that god exists to outright declaring that polyeists, and of course atheist, dualists etc and etc are outright wrong.
they cannot be right because you KNOW.

i am not implying that you do not feel this way and it is obviou that your passion runs deep.

you may find it hard to believe, but my atheism is something that i believe with a conviction i can only describe in the same terms – absolute.

i know that god does NOT EXIST.

i would not state it thus other than in the context of this discussion, though.
by using the term belif, we imply a far more fluid and accepting kind of faith. but i think that the advantage truly lies in this semiotic difference – that belief can ALSO BE ABSOLUTE.

i simply prefer a choice more gentle encompassing the probability of the singular surety of your faith.

and… as i have studied what is written in the bible and indeed so very many tens of thousands of texts elsewhere (my other research formed from archeology.)
personally i BLIEVE that it would be out of character for jesus, even were he god’s son, to contradict and thus demand submission of something that is a deep piece of what bedrock there is in a human mind. it would be more lke the gentle wise man to offer compelling argument and stories illustrating what he believed to be true.

anyway, you seem to be genuine in your passions, and that is something that i myslef follow. though i do not think the phrase divine…

i think it is in corinthians and i do everything within my power to live by this aphorism:

“whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. for there is no wisdom, nor work, nor device, in the grave, wither thou goest.”

(which is a broad term you must confess? yes? used to describe many differentiaion of a two-fold faith)

OH the last comment was directed to letthemeat art, our zealous scholar above.

this will definitely offend people!!
oh yeah… still!! better than pointing to all the direct contradictions in the bible or how about some quotes folks just at the end here…

Under God’s direction, Moses’ army defeats the Midianites. They kill all the adult males, but take the women and children captive. When Moses learns that they left some live, he angrily says: “Have you saved all the women alive? Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.” So they went back and did as Moses (and presumably God) instructed, killing everyone except for the virgins. In this way they got 32,000 virgins - Wow! (Even God gets some of the booty - including the virgins.) 31:1-54

God killed all the Egyptian firstborn. 33:4

God tells Moses to exterminate the residents of Canaan and destroy all of their religious symbols and possessions. 33:50-52

But if the Israelites don’t kill them all, then God will make them pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides. And he will do unto the Israelites as he planned to do to the inhabitants of Canaan. 33:55-56

“The revenger of blood” must murder the murderer just as soon as he sees him. 35:19, 21

When a murder is committed the blood pollutes the land. The only way to cleanse it is to spill more blood by killing the killer. 35:30, 33

lots and lots more and more brutal than this within that popular book…

here’s some comedy to point out a couple of things and annoy the living shit out of those whoom i personally have nothing against. some of the greatest men in history have had a strong personal faith.

not many.

but some…

please donn’t bother listing them

Hi everyone!

I have come across a whole string of mythological antecedents to Christian ritual in my readings of big weird dry history books. I like big books. If someone broke in, I could whack them with one and render them temporarily at my mercy muhahahaaahah. I always keep a huge fucking dictionary by the door, for sudden questions of etymology and, also, burglars.
I actually really like most Christian rituals. Though I am afraid… well I kinda think the burning bush is pretty damned lame. As miracles go. Well.
Coming back from the dead, eternal life. Healing lepers. Handy. These things would be cool. Tim tams. Endless tim tams. Reincarnation as an otter would be groovy as an act displaying the divine order of things. Perhaps an otter who always catches really TASTY fish…an otter that has truly AWESOME fur with natural stripes and a bit of a curl to it, that all the chick otters think is hot wanna root all the time.
Ok so Moses is out in the desert and a bush spontaneously combusts. Why not a tree? A forest? A planet? Even a rock. A nice rock. Shiny. But noooooooo it’s a BUSH. Woah.
Then him coming back to the Jews and saying “There was this BUSH guys it was FUCKING AMAZING! I was out with the sheep right, just rounded up Betsy Sheep after she had wandered off again, silly old girl, and THEN! Like – I was just standing there, right, with my crook, you know, that cool one I’ve got with the racing stripes which turns into a snake? (Actually this is another “miracle” performed in the bible that is actually STILL a common trick amongst Egyptian street performers. Yes, there are such people. The snakes go all stiff like a stick and then relax again. Not kidding.) I was in my favourite robes, out in the desert, doing my thing. And then outta NOWHERE this bush I was standing next to just like GOES UP! Suddenly it was on FIRE for like, no reason man! No reason!
“And then…
“I saw…
“GOD.
“No, no! No I hadn’t been playing with a godamned magnifying glass, and yes, all right, it was a prêt-ty warm out that day. Well, yeah, I did have a campfire to warm up my toasted sandwiches from last night but that was… ah… BEFORE then, somewhere else… yeah…I’m tellin’ ya! And it was uh…um… yeah well it was, I… I had my campfire in the next valley! I really did! I did! I did did did! It wasn’t even lunchtime any more! Promise!
“Believe me now? Ok then! Right! Let’s walk into the desert!”
And when he goes to talk to the pharaoh, he has to take his brother with him because: “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
At least Yahweh (God) was pretty broad about whom he employed, but still, a divine messenger without a speech impediment might have been a better choice.
And um… also the first miracle in Buddha’s life was a giant snake, a cobra, sticking out its weird neck thingies and stopping him from getting wet when it rained. This was after he had gone hungry for a few years and gone through all this suffering. He actually said, “Life is suffering,” at one point. So he may have had a bit of a tough time. Starving for instance. How about instead, whatever passed for currency in India in 600bc appearing in the pocket of his holy-man gear. Not much, just the equivilent of a couple of bucks. Then he could say Nyah Nyah to the other mystics and possibly add:
“Fuck this! I’m getting a choc’ wedge!”
He must have been sitting there as the giant snake came up and started its fairly unsnakelike parasol activities, thinking:
“Great. A miracle. Now. How about a comely maiden? Beer? Nope, giant snake with umbrella delusions. No beer, no chicks. I could have just gone and sat on the porch! Stupid snake!”

And… (A friend pointed out the point about Adam and Eve. Thank you Denise.) Incest gets you in trouble with the bible. “No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.” Yes, you are the lord. We know. No need to keep reminding us really, the whole look-upon-your-face-and-be-annihilated thing will be enough.
And then there is:
“…Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.” Leviticus 20:11. There are lots of specifics, though a few combinations of family members not to have sex with got left out, which is pretty careless really.
From the movie Hotshots:
“Well, it’s kinda like doing your sister. Sure she’s a great piece of tale with a box full of goodies, but it’s just illegal…

Adam and Eve? Their kids must have had kids with each other since there was no-one else around, yes? And um… well Mr Abraham guy was pretty keen on doing what God said, I believe. And he married his half-sister.
There are lots of things like this of course. The lineage of Christ is listed twice, and the two lists are different. Once again. Oops.
I do think that the idea of baptism is not only benign, but also beautiful. I have painted a posed baptism: my passionately cynical hands turning their odd skills to express the beauty of something that I could never believe as divine. Washed clean, reborn. Cleansed. But wasn’t John the Baptist baptising people before Christianity, or Christ himself, started doing it? He and Christ co-existed. Wouldn’t he be still not a Christian and actually a most unusual Jew at that point? There is the famous quote:
“Bring me the head of John the Baptist.” And it just occurred to me… what if they lost it and went back. Dropped it in the river or something.
“Ah we had his head but Billy was playing bowls with it and it fell in the river and floated away. And most of the rest of him we fed to the lions.”
“You idiots! Oh dear. Well then… what bits are left?
“The ah lower torso?”
“Right! Bring me the BUM of John the Baptist!”
In the words of Joseph Heller in the mouth of a Chaplain, “Could a society that didn’t understand the mechanics of rainfall find the meaning of existence?”
Celtic myth has a lot of lame and just outright weird stuff in it. For example, the…
“Trout of knowledge.” Man. You ate of the trout of knowledge and then you got knowledge, right? But it didn’t die… it was a mighty mighty trout of knowledge!
The Druids were in the habit of chaining a human, usually a slave, to one of those stone tables handily scattered across Europe. Then they would get a two-handed sword and sever the poor fucker’s spine. After that, it was to time to interpret the way the person on the table twitched as they died, and thereby TELL THE FUTURE COOOOOOL! (I do like telling hippies this bit of druidic/Celtic lore if they even MENTION oak trees or sickles. Or fairies. Same mythology people! Goes together! Get a grip! Kind of unavoidable! For fuck’s sake, take a peek at the world from behind your disgusting deadlocks!)
To me, this kind of pagan practice is rendered impotent merely by the raw imagination and vision requisite in the sacrament of Eucharist.
Some rituals, though, are swollen with power.
The idea of actually, viscerally EATING the symbolic body of your god, and DRINKING HIS BLOOD? It has such violent potency to it. Cool. I believe that that ritual originated with the worship of Dionysus. It crosses sweetly and clicks into place in a Christian cosmos… still; this is the way millions are blessed.
“Here:
“EAT GOD.” I mean. Wow. The process, the IDEA vibrates with authority.
And it slips and clicks alongside baptism. There is a closeness in these things, in their beauty…
I think that it may be the strength of implication that holds keys to our credence. It is the gathering splendour; anticipating the divine. It is this that spills miracles across our imaginations in the brightest and most defining lights of our minds, and of our lives.
For us, for you and for me…
In terms as far and as close as we seem to be able to invent: it is in so many ways this that describes who we are. Belief sketches us. With what we believe, we are lightning-lit, bright with conviction. Though it can’t tell us MUCH. Understanding our own beliefs is of course something that must happen within the fetters of our belief. Heh. Still it is this that for us may light up the universe, or disallow us from seeing anything or anyone apart from our faith and its dictates.
Absurd or not. DANGER DANGER!
“You with the gun and the huge crucifix! Step AWAY from the bible.”
Delusions; inviolate and immovable. The deepest walls in our minds: and all that some of us will ever, ever see.
The sum nature of belief vastly exceeds its component pieces of ritual, and its ornaments of symbology, fantastic and strange. Humming with devastating psychic force.

What is implied seems to me to exceed what is stated. Maybe it is this that is influencing us: The idea that something, a divine vision, an understanding, is coming. An epiphany and suddenly, Truth! Ineluctable. Yes. I think that intrinsic somewhere in religion, in The Godhead itself, is an essential idea of imminence.
Some massive, world altering event horizon of supernatural power is IMMINENT. It is IMPENDING. Something mystical is about to fall on our poor mortal minds and slosh over our heads with holy ascendancy, with shocking divine velocity.
Pouring insight into us, blinding truths that only our Gods can provide. The crucible of motivation here is that the adherent, praying and swaying and chanting, shall be included. Each person who believes. Made special. Declared valid, by God. Our world will have meaning.
Whomsoever has faith – enacts with their belief their participation within the divine order that they have chosen. We prove our belief by believing it.
We believe in being saved, and of course, to us, this will save us.
I think that what we really want is to be told who we are by someone as certain as a GOD.
We want Him/Her/That Consciousness thingie/Karma/ The Force – to tell us…
Say to us that, unequivocally, in all of this wild astrophysical endlessness where we fight and cling desperate and alone, we matter. Because we want and desperately hope that in the end, in Truth divine… that this universe that we cannot even ENVISION will be, it will, it will be…
FOR us.
So, I guess: it is the faith of an impending divine force rather than perceivable sensory evidence and a history of experience and memory that holds the key.
A belief and not a wish. Yes. Not hope. Faith.
Belief in a divinity is carried by more than 99% of the human race. But there are such traps…
Doesn’t it make more sense to believe in something as fundamental and reality altering as a God harder and more deeply than the mundane objects around you? A great deal of people I have met have a kind of faith that is simply utter certitude. To them, it is not faith but knowledge. Voltaire said “convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.” But a conviction, to the individual, IS a Truth. And this is frightening.

Here. Try this:
How strong is your faith?
Is it more real than the evidence of your senses? Of your other beliefs? In the validity of your sensory perceptions? Are emotions that are not spiritual less powerful, less True, to you? Test your faith in the violent light of THIS context. Stand your faith against these words, if you can:
“I SPECULATE that I can touch the face of the woman that I love with the rise and the fall of every breath that I take.
“I OPINE that the woman that I ache for, that I live for, her for whom I would die all deaths, lives and has a mind and heart. That her lips, the softest in a million worlds, TRULY DO touch mine warm and wet in the morning. I SUPPOSE that my friend is real. He who stood beside me as I warred, exhausted and failing, against the softness of death. That I may embrace him. That he will feel it, as I feel the strength in his arms and the old love in his eyes.
“I PROFESS TO BELIEVE that my eyes see this screen. My eyes that have served me since seeping light into colour into form when I was a tiny child and new to humankind. When I saw and I saw and I want the feeling that I have forgotten, of seeing colours, such colours in this world! My eyes: the shock of blue and back and red that gave me, gifted me in spectacular benevolence the holy face of my mother.
“I HOPE THAT IT PROVES TO BE THE CASE that my hands that have fought, fists and wards against my enemies – that have and written and worked and bled for me – are mine own. That they do exist.
“I TRUST in the veracity of the fingers that have forged everything that I have made. With which I touched myself tenderly as I felt the first stirrings of sex. The fingers that hit the keys in front of me and that have brushed against the warmth of what humans I have known. That have shown me the texture, the heat, the shape of the world.
“I ASSUME IT TO BE TRUE that I can hold close to me the child that I have sired, that I have loved and taught and feared for. That I really, REALLY CAN feel the warmth of her sweet breath against my chest as I carry her with every gentleness I can find in my heart to her bed. That I can smell her hair and hear her steady breathing as I lay her down and step hesitantly away. That she is real. Her, my child. Her, whose sweet sleeping form I watch in the half-light for long moments, amazed a thousand times that a miracle, the best of natural miracles, found half of its well of inception within me. Her, sleepy in the quiet of evening. Whose perfect, perfect face I carry before me in my mind as a sigil, a ward, a spell of strength. Her whose need is a terrible weight and dire command. Her love the most beautiful thing I have ever known.
“I CHOOSE TO IMAGINE TO BE FACTUAL Her existence; the best reason to fight that there has ever been. That the stunning wonder of her birth – when my patella smacked the hard white tile floor and I found I was on my knees and tears of joy were streaming hot and salty down my face – ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
“I SUSPECT that the life that leaps and hurts and shudders inside me is MINE.
“I HOLD that I truly LIVE.
“I CREDIT, I POSTULATE, I PRESUME, RECKON RELY AND VENTURE that my body exists and that I am not a creation of a sickness in a mind without a world.
“I hope that I walk this earth.
“But I KNOW that God exists.”
Then this is outright, unmistakable. By choosing, swayed by beauty, experience, love, pain, to believe in God. We are howling into the night, screaming and frantic to hear ourselves. To BELIEVE OUR OWN VOICES!
With this choice, we are saying this: “The divine waits with every unexperienced second. This moment is FECUND! It is PREGNANT with hope!”
Perhaps it is not that we conceive of a divine past, but that we believe in such vast improbability to ordain a divine future. To make it inevitable.
The most beautiful symbols in the history of the Western world have shaped and tugged each essential violence. They are as omnipresent as ourselves.
These symbols have fired the lungs of ten thousand prophets. They have sustained fervour amidst tortures upon tortures, and death upon death in vast numbers lost to time.
Tens of thousands of martyrs have screamed their crucial and earnest fidelity. In gorgeous and compelling abstraction as their lungs were seared and they burned alive, as blood and pain and life poured from them.
These symbols have compelled children to hope. They have told billions of illiterate men stories. They have forced souls barely able to carry the weight of their hate to philanthropy out of fear of the possibility of their truth and the reality of their power. They have given beautiful hearts a means to twist our society from universal brutality to a place with unemployment benefits and public health care. To the point where slavery is almost unknown in this lost and vicious world. Wonders of love.
Because of these ideas, countless human hands have been raised. Weapons have been envisioned, forged, distributed. An endless number of proud human lives have been dedicated only as soldiers for God. Killers and rapists for a concept of love. Adherents to horror excused and endorsed in murder. Heroes for God even in their own hearts. Millions of lives. Millions. Of course. Considered thought exploring and exploiting endless possibilities of tragedy written into human flesh; finding revealing actualising and using endlessly creative machines with which to hurt other humans. The genius of the kill. Adherents to a God of pain.
From this source, from here: emotion blooming in human hearts inspired into conviction:
These tools of thought have led endlessly, endlessly, to war.
I wonder what has allowed such surviving rituals as the wine and bread to follow us from their dark and unknowable origins into the moments, the passions of our lives? Eucharist has an aesthetically seamless nature – “here, eat this symbol. Enact it. Force it to be real for you by participating in its arcane order.”
A process of transformation from concept to belief and hence forcing sensory input to lose its veracity. Fingers slip bloody from the emptiness of the unknown. I cannot begin to grasp what occurs as the ritual is performed, when this happens. As the symbols in the process of ritual are given belief. As they are given CREDENCE.
Drink. God created the world. This liquid the colour of blood was drawn from the endless flood of his wounds.
Eat. This explicit piece of the world is carved from God’s very flesh. You hold his skin, the meat of his body, within your mouth. it. Swallow.
He is INSIDE YOU NOW.

Dear Paul,

How loud you shout – so very like the preacher, questioning how strong ones faith is, but first setting the bench mark that must be met before daring to allow another to answer.

I shall whisper my answer if I may.

Q: How strong is your faith?
A: It is a beautiful balance that requires no argument for it to be. It is neither enhanced nor diminished by external opinion. I do not know or care how strong it is – but one fact will remain; it is mine.

Neat.
haha tho. first time I misread it as “Our art, in its absolute non-utility, I R R I T A T E S the gods…” (looked again, “oh… ‘i m i t a t e s’ ”...!)
I would add that mortality and the void are surely not the sole or even main motivators of all art. Surely sheer joy of life and a desire to share one’s delight with others overflows in art too. Expressing what one has experienced or imagined, to spread the goodness of it more widely.
I guess some art expresses a search for meaning, while some expresses meaning found.
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty” said Keats (in his Ode to a Grecian Urn).

My thoughts are similar to Karin Taylor’s in that we are all spiritual beings breathed onto this planet to create, and in that sense we are all artists. Most often through our process of creativity we get out of our own way, ego is dissipated and something much greater than ourselves takes over. Whether you’re painting, sculpting, writing or setting up shop, the process is the same.
I am in awe of the talent on Red Bubble!!!
Bless us all. LOL

To: LetThemEatArt
Thanks for the up on the Sphinx. It’s age may be true but as yet is not conclusive regarding a time origin of around 10,500 B.C. The problem is when measurements are made based on geological data an error can occur if the stone has been around much longer than the sculpture it was used to make( which is usually the case). Most of the stone alignments like Stonehenge and the “Table Des Marchands” in the Ruins of Brittany were created between 4500 B.C to 4000 years ago. Mr. Hancock and his associates must have had the ultimate mystical experience when contemplating a 62ft. sculpture facing the constellation of Leo as if it is some kind of celestial clock which when an alignment with the stars at some point in time a great event will occur.

To Snake dog. The sphinx may not be a lion but a dog, in align with “Anubis”
jackal-headed god of the underworld in Egyptian beliefs. Read Robert Temple’s “The Sirius mystery”. If it is a lion, then it may represent the “age of Leo” (precession of equinox), which the constellation of Leo was at the highest meridian point on the ecliptic in about 10,500bc approx.

This date also pushes the pyramid of “Khufu” further back, because it pre-existed before the sphinx. “Authorities” impose the Pyramid of “Khufu” to 5,000 BC. The only reason they call it “Khufu” is because “Davidson” one of the first explorers, burrowed into the upper chambers above the King’s chamber looking for secrets, he “discovered” the 5 chambers which look surprisingly like earthquake protection for the King’s chamber, along with the gabled roof, which adds more protection from an engineers viewpoint, there were absolutely no markings within this Pyramid at all. Why would they need gabled roofs, and earthquake protection for a dead king? Better still, the only outer door was a swinging reusable door, meaning multiple entries, denoting frequent use. No one saw glyphs the first day on inspection (Al Mamun), so he snuck into one of the cavities at night and scrawled the cartouche or name of the King Khufu in the oldest known Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs at that time. Also on perusing his personal diaries, historians noted that he never made an entry about the cartouche on the discovery of these chambers? He used this cartouche to “prove” which king had built the pyramid from “his perspective”. Problem…he was only one of a handful who had access to this form of ancient glyphs used, meaning with this knowledge he may have planted the glyph to foil others less knowledgeable about hieroglyphs so he could claim a bigger discovery, the origin of the pyramid building date.
The biggest problem with naming this pyramid is an obvious problem, as they never found a body. No body, no name, no king, nothing. There are a few problems with this. Al Mamun an Arabic explorer and the first into the upper section of the Pyramid, circa mid 1800’s; found nothing. Davidson came after Al Mamun as an explorer. So the problem of modern geology challenging the date of the Sphinx is that it discredits Davidson and modern day Egyptologists immediately, by pushing the construction date and history back further than they can imagine.
In other words Khufu didn’t build the pyramid in 5,000 BC. If the Sphinx is 10,500 BC that means the Pyramid is older as it was there first.

to Paul, one may fall into the same trap as “religious” fundamentalists, in so much as “literalising” symbolic material. By lightly glossing over exoteric texts without deeper research we stumble blindly.
If one spent time studying Kabbalah and Hebrew including ancient Egyptian mythology and religion, one may find that the “burning bush” may be a reference to the “tree of life” encompassing the internal element of fire. The Kabbalistic tree of life is a pathway or map for “internal” work on the self-culminating in a spiritual epiphany for those who search. Kabbalah works with 3 elements, water, air, and fire. This biblical reference of a “burning and talking bush” in an exoteric view looks silly, yes, but with an esoteric view one can see that it may be an allegory or metaphor, that Moses found enlightenment and came face to face with deity.
His name in Hebrew means “drawn out of the water”, another reference to the element of water and humanity being the “waters”, perhaps the same “water” that “Jesus” walked on?
Here is a link further back to Egypt where “Moses”:http://www.egyptartsite.com/amun.html: with the two tablets of the law are on his headdress. Many movies depict the tablets as written in stone, which may mean they are immutable spiritual laws for balance of our human environment. This Hebrew Moses is pre-dated back to Egypt which had a deeper meaning as we can see on the link.
Literally someone walking on water is stupid, there is no logic, but taken into a symbolic view, it means that anyone who transcends mundane mind can “walk on water” so to speak. There is more than one reference to people walking on water, Peter one of Jesus’ disciples also walked on water during a boat trip but lost faith and sunk.
Further, “something” drew Moses out, so there was an “external” factor involved.
So already, there are many factors and elements involved in deciphering texts.
You mention so many references that would need to explained in depth, too many for an RB post.

Having been created by the Artist of all artists, I completely agree that creativity and spirituality go hand in hand, that is when I realize I am created in His image then it makes perfect sense. He’s an artist on all accounts, I was formed by him in His image then why wouldn’t I have his creativeness imbedded inside me. I think we all do to one extent or another.

here here I agree entirely with www4gsus…;} hugzz

I absolutely agree… Art must remain with spirit and the other way around. I have written my self long time ago “Improve spirit to improve your art” :)

I also think that we are all afraid of eachother’s journey.Perhaps it is bacause so many people use the “name” of one form of Spirituality to attack the others. If they say they are Christians and act that way they are showing that they are not followers of Christ. Nice to meet you :> Ellen

Flauberto ist in der kleinen Stadt Juazeirinhio, Paraiba geboren. Er lebt seit fünf
Jahren in Berlin und nahm bereits an bedeutenden Gemeinschaftsaustellungen
u.a. in Brasilien, USA, Deutschland und de Schweiz teil.
„Flauberto findet seine Inspiration in der überfüllten Welt unserer Alltäglichen
und aus Wortfetzen bestehenden, von Hektik geprägten Umwelt. In den
Straßen der Großstadt, den Korridoren von U-Bahnhöfen oder den tausendfach
überklebten Outdoors an den Häuserwänden finden sich die grafischen
Elemente seiner Bilder wieder. Die Leinwand scheint den gestalterischen
Gestus von Flauberto nur vorübergehend festzuhalten, denn die Intention des
Striches und der Farbkombinantionen weisen weit aus dem verschlossenen,
geordneten Innenleben eines Raumes in die Unbegrenztheit einer ungewissen
Außenwelt unter freiem Himmel.“
Flauberto“ ist einer der herausragenden Künstler der brasilianischen Kunstszene in Deutschland. Seine Werke, das sind Gemälde, Fotos und Zeichnungen zeigen einen einzigartigen Stil und befinden sich in ständigen Sammlungen der brasilianischen Botschaft, dem „Museu de Arte Contemporânea Assis Chateaubriand“ und Privatsammlungen in Russland, Schweiz, Deutschland und den USA. Außerdem wird er von den brasilianischen Medien zu den wichtigsten fünf aktuellen bildenden Künstlern des Bundesstaates Paraíba in Brasilien gezählt.

Der Künstler präsentierte seine Werke unter anderem im Jahr 2003 auf der Bienale von Novosibirsk in Russland und in einer Ausstellung in der Akademie der Künste in Berlin, erhielt im Jahr 2002 den Preis des Museums in Berlin-Dahlem als „ausgezeichneter Künstler der brasilianischen Kunstszene Deutschland“.
2002 realisierter er ebenfalls eine Retrospektive in den ehemaligen Räumen des brasilianischen Kulturinstituts (ICBRA) aber auch weitere Ausstellungen in Deutschland und im Ausland, wie die Teilnahme als Repräsentant Brasiliens am Projekt „United-Buddy-Bears“ in Berlin, Tokio, Sidney, Istambul, Shangai und Peking. 1998 wurde er in einer Galerie in Zürich und auch in Basel gehandelt. 1995 wurden seine Werke in einem Workshop in Minneapolis (USA) vorgestellt und besprochen.

Eine sich aufweitende Kunst -
Oder vielleicht eine Unordnung, die aus dem dunkeln der Rohmaterie seiner Kunst entnommen ist

Die ersten Aufzeichnungen des künstlerischen Schaffens von Flauberto stammen aus seiner Kindheit in Juazeirinho, einer kleinen und armen Stadt, die durch die Bundesstrasse BR-230 in der Mitte durchschnitten wird, eingewachsen in der gühenden Hitze in der desolaten Region von Cariri im Bundesstaat Paraiba. Seine Unruhe verschonte nicht die Wände der Häuser, die Mauern des Klassenzimmers, die grossen Türen der Lagerhäuser, die Banken und die Wände der Schule.
Es ist dieses weit zurückliegende Gedächtnis, welches sich in der emotionalen Fracht seiner aktuellen Arbeit verfasst, wenn die Welt und das Leben in Reichtweite ist, auf diesem Weg der seine Geschichte in der Mitte zerschneidet.

Das Ziel seiner Kunst ist mehr als die Bewusstheit, es ist die Besessenheit an Grenzüberschreitungen. Seine Arbeiten schreien nach Dringlichkeiten, sie beben wie die eigene Zeit und verlangen nach der Kolektivität.

“Ich habe ab 1994 angefangen intensiv Kunst zu machen, so dass Leben und Kunst in einem gemeinsamen Weg meinen künstlerischen Prozess begleitet haben. Bei der künstlerischen Tätigkeit habe ich sehr früh eine besessene, systematische und impulsive Form entwickelt . In den letzten 19 Jahren meines Schaffens habe ich mich besonders mit Zeichnungen und Malerei beschäftigt, habe aber auch Projekte mit Skulptur und Instalationen entwickelt. Die Themen meines Lebens waren immer die meines Lebens, wie Sex, Macht, Geld, und Religion, die immer verwirrende und festigende Elemente meiner Existenz waren.
Ich wusste nie zu erklären wie sich diese Dinge von einer Form in die andere (im Leben und in der Kunst) wandelten, jedoch bin ich ein autodidaktischer Künstler mit Intension und Selbstbildung. Sehr früh habe ich eine Art von Aversion zum Model der schulischen Bildung entwickelt , als ich das Studium an der Universität verlassen habe.

Seit Juazeirinho, die Stadt in der ich geboren bin und gelebt habe, fühle ich mich wie ein impulsives, obzesives und ängstliches Individuum, welches sich aus der Dunkelheit mit seinem eigenen Licht entzieht.

Ich will Fragen beantworten: Wer bin ich? zu wem gehöre ich? oder warum meine Kunst in meiner Kondition und meinem kreativen Prozess nachhallen wird ?

Ich und meine Kunst gehören zusammen, von den vorhandenen Händen mit der verzweifelten Lust am Fleisch.
Ich schaffe es nicht aufzuhören meinen Umkreis zu observieren, sei es in João Pessoa, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Basel, in der Schweiz, oder in Berlin.Städte die die Tragig meines Lebens darstellen.

Ab 2002 begann ich einen Prozess zu entwickeln der Fotografie mit Techniken wie Kollage, Foto-Kollage und digitale Manipulation, als Mittel oder Unterstützung aufweist. Ich habe in der Fotogafie ein Mittel gefunden, der persönlichen und pofessionellen Verwirklichung so klar und Transparent wie anderen Unterstützungen die ich schon genutzt habe, und die ich noch nutze. Ich setze in meine Fotografien die Unnachgiebigkeit und die Obzession der Grenzen von meiner Lust. Alles was ich mache ist ein Teil einer extrem persönlichen Entschlossenheit. Als ich mich entschloss die Fotografie in meinen Prozess der Produktion und Kreation einzubinden, machte ich dies, um an eine Objektivität und Tranzperenz des Mittels zu glauben um meine Ideen zu transportieren. Das erste Projekt von Fotos, dass ich 2002 begonnen hatte, versammelt 500 Fotografien die meine privaten Wünsche des Lebens und meine Augen vor der Welt ausdrücken. Um das Projekt zu realisieren, griff ich zum Universum der Informationen, wie Zeitungen, Jornale, Bücher, Fotos und Bilder die von anderen Künstlern gemacht wurden, also letztendlich alles was ich mit meinem lüsternden Blick erreichen konnte. Auf dem Weg der Hin- und Rückfahrt nach Hause werde ich Stücke des Lebens gesammelt haben, die meine Wünschen berühren. »

Die Perversion der Farben.

Es gab keinen anderen Weg für Flauberto wenn nicht die Kunst. Die Natur hat ihm eine Art der Perversation der Farben bereitgestellt. Als Kind seine Ziele am Abend in Juazeirinho, Paraibanischen Cariri, waren unfreiwilligerweise einfallen durch eine Leuchtende Kraft des “in den Augenen stechenden Grüns”.

Als Regen fiel füllte sich die Vegetation mit Blättern, und der Blick Flaubertos verlohr sich im kräftigen Grün des Juazeiro-Baumes, des Umbu-Baumes und des Catinga-Baumes.

Der Blick Flaubertos ist so – unterschiedlich, verzerrt und trügerisch. Aber in einer semantischen Frage, waren die Farben für Ihn immer eine Herausforderung, denn er muss nicht nur seine Namen lernen, denn auch mit einer Art bösen Magie leben, die mit einigen Farben, prinzipiell mit Grün, erscheint, die in Zusammenhang mit dem Kontext in welchem die gleichen eingefügt waren hervorstechen.
Aktuell hat Flauberto eine Sicht dieser Situation: die Fraben sehen wie kodiert aus, dominiert um zu malen.
Er entwickelte eine quasi machanisiert Technik, wo es für jede Farbe einen vorbestimmten Platz gibt. Jede Farbe hält eine bestimmte Distanz zur anderen und jede Farbe ist vorbereitet und nur einmal anwendbar, niemals aber in vielen Töpfen zur gleichen Zeit.

Ich lernte die Malerei von Flauberto kennen bevor ich Ihn persönlich kennengelernt habe, als ich an etwas anderes denkend eine Bank betrat, an jenem Platz der für Ausstellungen vorgesehen war, die mir immer ein Lächeln in meinen
Mundwinkeln hervorrief. An diesem Tag hielt ich verblüfft vor einer ausgestellten Zusammenstellung an.
Vom Nahen stellte ich die Unvollkommenheit in der Vorbeitung der Farben und der Leinwände des Künstlers fest und blieb verwirrt im Akzeptieren der primitiven Kunst oder einer bewussten oder gelehrten Manifestation von einem jungen Künstler.
Ich ging heraus mit Assoziationen von Grafiken von Keith Hering, und mit den unbearbeiteten Figuren von A.R. Penk, und mit den infantilen Malereien von Donald Baechler, ohne zu wissen was sozusagen der noch unbekannte Anfänger Flauberto mit der Produktion dieser Künstler gemeinsam hatte.
Die vigorosen Grafiken Flaubertos sind Übungen der Dichotomie, schwingen wie ein taumelnder und aus den Fugen tretender Tanz zwischen einer kartesische Organisation und einem unkontrolliertem und rudimentären Kaos.
Es sind Variiationen zwischen ausschweifenden Pinselstrichen des Malers bis hin zu den feinen Linien und Strichen die sich in den etwas grosseren Kompositionen verlieren. Seine Farben gehen von der Künstlichkeit von einem fluesziereneden Orange die Übelkeit hervorrufen, bis zu friedlichen Pasteltönen.
Persönlichkeit und Malerei wechseln sich zwischen lebhaft und trüb, grob und fein, populär und gelehrt, klever und naiv, bewusst und verwirt ab. Die letzten Malereien von Flauberto zeigen schon eine Annäherung mit einigen Konzepten, die im Wiebelwind von Aufnahmen der zeitgenossischen Kunst gelernt wurden in der der Künstler sich in den letzten Jahren befand.
Es scheint aber, dass er alles mit viel Personalität behandelt. Akademische Konzepte wie Gleichgewicht und Einigkeit die bei den meisten Künstlern aus unser Generation noch zu finden sind werden meistens missachtet. Die Organisation von Flaubertos Arbeitsmaterial wirkt in den Augen zu aller erst trostlos. Schwere Figuren werden auf leichte gelegt, senkrechte Bäume schweben aus den Seiten und harte Figuren drängeln sich in außergewöhnlicher und störender Masse durch.
Seine Malerei ändert sich als ob er sie aufgrund der brasilianischen Musik und Rock geschaffen hat. Ich selber kenne keinen anderen Maler der für sich selbst eine Art von chronologischen Aktionen, die von der technischen Verbesserung bis hin zu Marketing-Aktionen gehen und sich in Stars der brasilianische Musik hineinversetzt. Er hat sich selbst vorgenommen Sachen zu schaffen, die sich jüngere Maler gar nicht trauen.
Wenn ich mit Ihnen über einige seiner Malereien spreche, scheint es als ob er immer schon einen fertige Antwort zu meinen Fragen hat. Ich muss zugeben, dass ich einige Zeit benötige um die Ergebnisse verarbeiten zu können und will meistens auch schon mal sagen z.B. dass ich nie solch ein Rot oder Lila benutzen würde. Seine Malereien überschreiten immer den Punkt bis zu dem ich kommen würde.
An diesem Punkt könnte ich Jean Dubuffet mit seinem Art Brut Konzept erwähnen, oder andererseits in diesen wirren Zeiten der Multikulturalität die Diskussionen der Kritiker der modernen Kunst durchgehen, um zu versuchen die Arbeit von Flauberto zu verstehen, aber ich verbleibe lieber auf dem Feld der Zweifel, offen für die unerwarteten Schläge der Malerei von Flauberto aus Cariri

Flauberto Bildender Künstler Aus Brasilien
Lebt und arbeitet in Berlin Deutschland
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Kontakt:
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flaubertocontato@yahoo.com
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www.flickr.com/photos/flaubertoplasticartist/

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The first records of Flauberto´s plastic espression starts already

in his childhood in Juazeirinho, a poor and small town two halves by the BR-230 motorway, stuck in the scalding and desolate region of Paraiba`s cariri.

His unrest behaviour did neither spare the walls of the houses and school, nor the huge doors of the stores, not to mention the schools´ chairs and rooms. It is this remote memory that builds the emotional face for his work today, being the world and life at his reach, it this road that cuts his history by the half.

More than consciousness, the object of his art is the obsession with limits. He vindicates his own condition. Flauberto´s works cry for urgency. They vibrante with his own time.

Flauberto is living his life and woking with art without a particular self knowledge. His restless thoughts are registered in any kind of material.

And with no strict definition, the artist believes that what he does comes from the answers to thes questions: Who am I? Where am I? Where am going to? In this way he captures spontaneous artistic expressions from his innerself transforming them into old and rudimentary paintings.

Later, he turns ideas to material, in various languages: painting, object, sculpture, site-specific, photografy, and new medias. And repeat the process all over again.

I am an autodidactic artist. My personal life and art flow parallel on to another. About my art have to say that I don´t belong to any art school, my painting is developed in a very personal base. I don´t need and I don´t have any attraction to academics of the art history. My paintings are very open and free. My inspiration comes from darkness. My ideas are materialized spontaneously, i am don´t plan my painting, that means i only need to have the art materials in my hands and than I start to paint what comes in my head at that moment. If I plan my work, I can not make it. I am a compulsive artist, obsessive. In reality I make an artwork, whenever I need to say something. Sometimes I think I take part of the time of the cavern man, spontaneous, primitive, as the ideas come as vocanoes and eartrquake inside myself that have to be expelled and than to be materialized in any kind of art suport. I don´t have a daily timetable in my art, my art does not care about art that way. I am not worried if my work grows or if am included in certain art systems. This kind of decision from critics who decide what is art does not make part of my personal universe. Art as I see, must be free. The artist ought to be free in any circunstance. For me it is important the quality of art, the material quality too. The art has a good message to the society, the message could be good or bad, but it is important that generations after mine could see and admire and also that part of my ideas in my art works.

For me the reciprocity and the distance between the public and private world are something questionable.

For me the real art and the truly function from art is somethings unknown; my real vision of art is ART IS ATTITUDE. I am not different from the mostly artist, I elaborate my art production alone, the art is something very individual and unilateral. So I have the relation artist and art production. I have no notion of the effect or impact on public after my art production is finished. At my vernissages, through 10 years as artist, I have heard a lot about what the people feel: some people do not understand, some think whatever they want, some understad in a frame of their knowledge. I enjoy and have fun watching the people: I like the public interaction, artist and art, it is like a party for me . I do not support the intellectual side of art.

The interaction makes public take part of the creation process of the artist and I like it very much; and it is natural. In reality anyone can be an artist, it dependes on if one develops its art abilities or not.

The idea of actuality is my everyday routine. I live the present and my paintings register exactly my life at present, but my artistc know-know and inspiration come from the darkness, I do not ask the present as artist. I know that I have to say and do something that comes from inside myself: So is my art present at the actuality of the world and all its diferences and problems: They come as positive signal to me, the actuality does not bother my creative process. I can not have a daly routine as artist. This would be a torture for me, but I don´t have nothing against. My mind works very fast and spontaneous and that happens in my art process too. My daily project begins with the ideas that come in my mind. This is my first priority, then begin timeless work of putting my ideas on the canvas on as an artists everyday.

The artist Flauberto live and work 7 years in Berlin.
Flauberto is one of the outstanding artists of the Brazilian art scene in Germany. His works, which are paintings, photographs and drawings showing a unique style and are in permanent collections in the Brazilian Embassy, and the Museu de Arte Contemporânea Assis Chateaubriand, and private collections Russia,and Switzerland, Germany and the USA. Moreover, it is taken by the Brazilian media on the main current five visual artists of the State of Paraíba important in Brazil.
The artist presented their works among others in 2003 at the Bienal of Novosibirsk in Russia and an exhibition at the Academy of Arts in Berlin, in 2002, the prize of the museum in Berlin-Dahlem asexcellent artists of the Brazilian art scene Germany.
2002 Exhibition the Brazilian Cultural Institute (ICBRA), but also other exhibitions in Germany and abroad, how to participate as a representative of Brazil in the project, United Buddy Bears” in Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, Istanbul, Shanghai and Beijing. In 1998 Exhibition gallery in Zurich and Basel. In 1995 workshop in Minneapolis (USA) presented and discussed.
Contact:
Flaubertocontato@yahoo.com
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Eine sich aufweitende Kunst -

Oder vielleicht eine Unordnung, die aus dem dunkeln der Rohmaterie seiner Kunst entnommen ist

Die ersten Aufzeichnungen des künstlerischen Schaffens von Flauberto stammen aus seiner Kindheit in Juazeirinho, einer kleinen und armen Stadt, die durch die Bundesstrasse BR-230 in der Mitte durchschnitten wird, eingewachsen in der gühenden Hitze in der desolaten Region von Cariri im Bundesstaat Paraiba. Seine Unruhe verschonte nicht die Wände der Häuser, die Mauern des Klassenzimmers, die grossen Türen der Lagerhäuser, die Banken und die Wände der Schule.

Es ist dieses weit zurückliegende Gedächtnis, welches sich in der emotionalen Fracht seiner aktuellen Arbeit verfasst, wenn die Welt und das Leben in Reichtweite ist, auf diesem Weg der seine Geschichte in der Mitte zerschneidet.

Das Ziel seiner Kunst ist mehr als die Bewusstheit, es ist die Besessenheit an Grenzüberschreitungen. Seine Arbeiten schreien nach Dringlichkeiten, sie beben wie die eigene Zeit und verlangen nach der Kolektivität.

“Ich habe ab 1994 angefangen intensiv Kunst zu machen, so dass Leben und Kunst in einem gemeinsamen Weg meinen künstlerischen Prozess begleitet haben. Bei der künstlerischen Tätigkeit habe ich sehr früh eine besessene, systematische und impulsive Form entwickelt . In den letzten 19 Jahren meines Schaffens habe ich mich besonders mit Zeichnungen und Malerei beschäftigt, habe aber auch Projekte mit Skulptur und Instalationen entwickelt. Die Themen meines Lebens waren immer die meines Lebens, wie Sex, Macht, Geld, und Religion, die immer verwirrende und festigende Elemente meiner Existenz waren.

Ich wusste nie zu erklären wie sich diese Dinge von einer Form in die andere (im Leben und in der Kunst) wandelten, jedoch bin ich ein autodidaktischer Künstler mit Intension und Selbstbildung. Sehr früh habe ich eine Art von Aversion zum Model der schulischen Bildung entwickelt , als ich das Studium an der Universität verlassen habe.

Seit Juazeirinho, die Stadt in der ich geboren bin und gelebt habe, fühle ich mich wie ein impulsives, obzesives und ängstliches Individuum, welches sich aus der Dunkelheit mit seinem eigenen Licht entzieht.

Ich will Fragen beantworten: Wer bin ich? zu wem gehöre ich? oder warum meine Kunst in meiner Kondition und meinem kreativen Prozess nachhallen wird ?

Ich und meine Kunst gehören zusammen, von den vorhandenen Händen mit der verzweifelten Lust am Fleisch.

Ich schaffe es nicht aufzuhören meinen Umkreis zu observieren, sei es in João Pessoa, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Basel, in der Schweiz, oder in Berlin.Städte die die Tragig meines Lebens darstellen.

Ab 2002 begann ich einen Prozess zu entwickeln der Fotografie mit Techniken wie Kollage, Foto-Kollage und digitale Manipulation, als Mittel oder Unterstützung aufweist. Ich habe in der Fotogafie ein Mittel gefunden, der persönlichen und pofessionellen Verwirklichung so klar und Transparent wie anderen Unterstützungen die ich schon genutzt habe, und die ich noch nutze. Ich setze in meine Fotografien die Unnachgiebigkeit und die Obzession der Grenzen von meiner Lust. Alles was ich mache ist ein Teil einer extrem persönlichen Entschlossenheit. Als ich mich entschloss die Fotografie in meinen Prozess der Produktion und Kreation einzubinden, machte ich dies, um an eine Objektivität und Tranzperenz des Mittels zu glauben um meine Ideen zu transportieren. Das erste Projekt von Fotos, dass ich 2002 begonnen hatte, versammelt 500 Fotografien die meine privaten Wünsche des Lebens und meine Augen vor der Welt ausdrücken. Um das Projekt zu realisieren, griff ich zum Universum der Informationen, wie Zeitungen, Jornale, Bücher, Fotos und Bilder die von anderen Künstlern gemacht wurden, also letztendlich alles was ich mit meinem lüsternden Blick erreichen konnte. Auf dem Weg der Hin- und Rückfahrt nach Hause werde ich Stücke des Lebens gesammelt haben, die meine Wünschen berühren. »

Die Perversion der Farben.

Es gab keinen anderen Weg für Flauberto wenn nicht die Kunst. Die Natur hat ihm eine Art der Perversation der Farben bereitgestellt. Als Kind seine Ziele am Abend in Juazeirinho, Paraibanischen Cariri, waren unfreiwilligerweise einfallen durch eine Leuchtende Kraft des “in den Augenen stechenden Grüns”.

Als Regen fiel füllte sich die Vegetation mit Blättern, und der Blick Flaubertos verlohr sich im kräftigen Grün des Juazeiro-Baumes, des Umbu-Baumes und des Catinga-Baumes.

Der Blick Flaubertos ist so – unterschiedlich, verzerrt und trügerisch. Aber in einer semantischen Frage, waren die Farben für Ihn immer eine Herausforderung, denn er muss nicht nur seine Namen lernen, denn auch mit einer Art bösen Magie leben, die mit einigen Farben, prinzipiell mit Grün, erscheint, die in Zusammenhang mit dem Kontext in welchem die gleichen eingefügt waren hervorstechen.

Aktuell hat Flauberto eine Sicht dieser Situation: die Fraben sehen wie kodiert aus, dominiert um zu malen.

Er entwickelte eine quasi machanisiert Technik, wo es für jede Farbe einen vorbestimmten Platz gibt. Jede Farbe hält eine bestimmte Distanz zur anderen und jede Farbe ist vorbereitet und nur einmal anwendbar, niemals aber in vielen Töpfen zur gleichen Zeit.

Ich lernte die Malerei von Flauberto kennen bevor ich Ihn persönlich kennengelernt habe, als ich an etwas anderes denkend eine Bank betrat, an jenem Platz der für Ausstellungen vorgesehen war, die mir immer ein Lächeln in meinen

Mundwinkeln hervorrief. An diesem Tag hielt ich verblüfft vor einer ausgestellten Zusammenstellung an.

Vom Nahen stellte ich die Unvollkommenheit in der Vorbeitung der Farben und der Leinwände des Künstlers fest und blieb verwirrt im Akzeptieren der primitiven Kunst oder einer bewussten oder gelehrten Manifestation von einem jungen Künstler.

Ich ging heraus mit Assoziationen von Grafiken von Keith Hering, und mit den unbearbeiteten Figuren von A.R. Penk, und mit den infantilen Malereien von Donald Baechler, ohne zu wissen was sozusagen der noch unbekannte Anfänger Flauberto mit der Produktion dieser Künstler gemeinsam hatte.

Die vigorosen Grafiken Flaubertos sind Übungen der Dichotomie, schwingen wie ein taumelnder und aus den Fugen tretender Tanz zwischen einer kartesische Organisation und einem unkontrolliertem und rudimentären Kaos.

Es sind Variiationen zwischen ausschweifenden Pinselstrichen des Malers bis hin zu den feinen Linien und Strichen die sich in den etwas grosseren Kompositionen verlieren. Seine Farben gehen von der Künstlichkeit von einem fluesziereneden Orange die Übelkeit hervorrufen, bis zu friedlichen Pasteltönen.

Persönlichkeit und Malerei wechseln sich zwischen lebhaft und trüb, grob und fein, populär und gelehrt, klever und naiv, bewusst und verwirt ab. Die letzten Malereien von Flauberto zeigen schon eine Annäherung mit einigen Konzepten, die im Wiebelwind von Aufnahmen der zeitgenossischen Kunst gelernt wurden in der der Künstler sich in den letzten Jahren befand.

Es scheint aber, dass er alles mit viel Personalität behandelt. Akademische Konzepte wie Gleichgewicht und Einigkeit die bei den meisten Künstlern aus unser Generation noch zu finden sind werden meistens missachtet. Die Organisation von Flaubertos Arbeitsmaterial wirkt in den Augen zu aller erst trostlos. Schwere Figuren werden auf leichte gelegt, senkrechte Bäume schweben aus den Seiten und harte Figuren drängeln sich in außergewöhnlicher und störender Masse durch.

Seine Malerei ändert sich als ob er sie aufgrund der brasilianischen Musik und Rock geschaffen hat. Ich selber kenne keinen anderen Maler der für sich selbst eine Art von chronologischen Aktionen, die von der technischen Verbesserung bis hin zu Marketing-Aktionen gehen und sich in Stars der brasilianische Musik hineinversetzt. Er hat sich selbst vorgenommen Sachen zu schaffen, die sich jüngere Maler gar nicht trauen.

Wenn ich mit Ihnen über einige seiner Malereien spreche, scheint es als ob er immer schon einen fertige Antwort zu meinen Fragen hat. Ich muss zugeben, dass ich einige Zeit benötige um die Ergebnisse verarbeiten zu können und will meistens auch schon mal sagen z.B. dass ich nie solch ein Rot oder Lila benutzen würde. Seine Malereien überschreiten immer den Punkt bis zu dem ich kommen würde.

An diesem Punkt könnte ich Jean Dubuffet mit seinem Art Brut Konzept erwähnen, oder andererseits in diesen wirren Zeiten der Multikulturalität die Diskussionen der Kritiker der modernen Kunst durchgehen, um zu versuchen die Arbeit von Flauberto zu verstehen, aber ich verbleibe lieber auf dem Feld der Zweifel, offen für die unerwarteten Schläge der Malerei von Flauberto aus Cariri

Texto de( Flauberto e Jose Rufino)

Text von Flaubero und Jose Rufino

flaubertocontato@yahoo.com

Os primeiros registros da expressão artística de Flauberto surgem já na infância
em Juazeirinho, uma cidade pequena e pobre cortada ao meio pela Br-230,
encravada na escaldante e desolada região do Cariri paraibano.
A sua inquietude não poupava as paredes das casas, os muros do grupo escolar, as imensas portas dos armazéns de estivas, as carteiras e as paredes do colégio.
É essa memória remota que vai se constituir na carga emocional de seu trabalho atual, quando o mundo e a vida estão ao seu alcance, nessa estrada que corta a sua
história ao meio.
Mais do que consciência, o objeto de sua arte é a obsessão dos limites. Seus trabalhos gritam por urgência, trepidam como o seu próprio tempo, reinvidicando a condição coletiva.
“Comecei a produzir profissionalmente a partir de 1994, embora a vida e a arte tenham
caminhado juntas no desenvolvimento do meu processo artístico. Desde muito cedo
desenvolvi uma forma obsessiva, sistemática e compulsiva de se fazer arte. Nos últimos
dez anos a minha produção esteve baseada principalmente no desenho e na pintura,
mas também desenvolvi, projetos como escultura e instalação.
Os temas da minha vida sempre foram também os da minha arte. Sexo, poder,
dinheiro e religião sempre foram elementos pertubadores e condicionadores da minha
existência. Eu nunca soube explicar como estas coisas se transmutaram de uma condição à outra ( da vida para a arte) , pois sou um artista de intenção e formação autodidatas. Desde muito cedo desenvolvi um tipo de aversão ao modelo de aprendizado escolar, quando abandonei em definitivo os estudos da universidade.
Desde Juazeirinho, cidade onde nasci e vivi, sinto e percebo-me como um indivíduo
compulsivo, obsessivo, agonizante o qual retira do escuro a sua própria luz.
Eu procuro responder à perguntas como: Quem sou ? a quem pertenço? ou por que a minha arte reverbera na minha condição e no meu processo criativo?
Eu e minha arte estamos juntos, de mãos dadas com o desesperador prazer da carne.
Não consigo parar de observar o meu redor, seja em João Pessoa, Salvador,
Rio de Janeiro, Basel, na Suíça, ou em Berlim, cidades que compõem a minha tragetória de vida.
A partir de 2002 comecei a desenvolver um processo que tem a fotografia como meio
e suporte. através de técnicas como colagem, foto-montagem, e manipulação digital.
Encontrei na fotografia um meio de realização pessoal e profissional tão claro e transparentes quanto os outros suportes que já explorei, e que continuo explorando.
Coloco nas minhas fotografias a intransigência e a obsessão dos limites do meu prazer.
Tudo o que eu faço é parte de uma resolução extremamente pessoal.
Quando resolvi incluir a fotografia no meu processo de produção e criação, fiz por acreditar na objetividade e transparência do meio para veicular minha idéias.
Este projeto inicial de fotos que iniciei em 2002, reúne quinhentas fotografias que expressam os meus desejos privados pela vida e os meus olhos diante do mundo.
Para a realização deste projeto, lanço mão do universo da informação como revistas, jornais, livros, fotos ou imagens produzidas por outros artistas, em fim, tudo o que eu vou alcançando com o meu olhar carnal. Nos caminhos de ida e volta para casa vou juntando pedaços da vida que mexem com os meus desejos. ”

A peversão da cores.

Não havia outra saída para Flauberto a não ser a arte. A natureza
reservou para ele uma espécie de peversão das cores. Quando criança seus fins de tarde na cidade de Juazeirinho, Cariri paraibano, eram involutariamente invadidos por uma luminosidade “verde de doer nos olhos”.
Quando caiam a chuvas e a vegetação se enchia rapidamente de folhas, o olhar de Flauberto se perdia na “vermelhidão” dos juazeiros, umbuzeiros e catingueiras.
O olhar de Flauberto é assim; diferente,distorcido e enganoso. Mais que uma questão
de semânticas, as cores para ele sempre foram um desafio, era preciso aprender
não apenas seus nomes, mas também conviver com uma espécie de magia maldosa a qual fazia com que algumas cores, principalmente o verde, desaparecesse de acordo
com o contexto no qual estavam as mesmas inseridas.
Atualmente Flauberto tem um aparente domnio desta situação: as cores parecem estar
codificadas, dominadas para pintar. Ele desenvolveu uma técnica quase mecanizada
onde para cada tinta há um lugar pré-determinado. Mantendo cada uma, uma certa distancia da outra e cada cor é preparada e aplicada de uma só vez, nunca apartir de vários potes ao mesmo tempo.
Conheci a pintura de Flauberto antes mesmo de conhecê-lo ao entrar distraidamente
em uma agência bancária, cujo lugar destinado à exposicoes, sempre me causou
sorrisos no canto da boca. Naquele dia fui desviado com espanto para um conjunto
de grandes pinturas de cores fortes e composições rudimentares.
De perto percebi a imaturidade do artista no preparo das tintas e das telas e fiquei confuso em aceitar aceitar aquilo como arte primitiva ou uma manifestação consciênte e erudita de um jovem artista. Sai dali fazendo associações com o s grafismos de Keith Hering, e com as figuras toscas de A. R. Penk, e com as pinturas infantilizadas de Donald Baechler, sem saber que o então iniciante Flauberto desconhecia totalmente a producao destes artistas.
Os grafismos vigorosos de Flauberto são exercícios de dicotomia, oscilam como uma
dança desengonçada entre uma organização cartesiana, e um caos descontrolado e rudimentar. Variam entre grossas pinceladas de pintor de parede até finos e delicados
traços que se perdem nas composições mais pesadas.
Suas cores vão do artificialismo de um laranja fluorescente de causar náuseas, ao pacifico tons pastéis. Personalidade e pintura alternam-se entre o vibrante e o opaco,
o rude o delicado, o popular e o erudito, o esperto e o ingênuo, o consciênte e o alienado.
As últimas pinturas de Flauberto já revelam uma aproximação com alguns conceitos
apreendidos do turbilhão de imagens da arte contemporânea a qual o artista tem
se submetido nos últimos anos.
Mas ele parece tratar tudo isso com muita personalidade. Conceitos academicos como
equilibrio e unidade, ainda presente na maioria dos artistas da nossa geração,
são completamente ingnorados. A “organizacao” do espaço pictórico de Flauberto
chega a causar um desconforto no olhar. Figuras pesadas são colocadas em cima das
leves, àrvores horizontais pendem das laterais e figuras duras cortam tudo de forma
desconcertante e incômoda.
Sua pintura muda de ritmo como se pintasse ao som de música popular brasileira e rock pesado. Desconheço qualquer artista que tenha traçado para sí próprio uma espécie de cronograma de ação que vai desde o aprimoramento técnico até ações de marketing. Flauberto tem pressa na sua conquista e está sempre se espelhando em estrelas da música popular. Ele almeja galgar rapidamente os degraus que outros artistas jovens nem cogitam.
Quando o interpelo sobre algumas de suas pinturas, Flauberto parece já ter uma resposta para meus questionamentos. Confesso que demoro algum tempo para processar seus resultados, e fico sempre com vontade de dizer , por exemplo, que eu jamais usaria este vermelho ou aquele roxo. A pintura de Flauberto sempre passa do ponto onde eu pararia.
Eu poderia evocar aqui Jean Dubuffet, com seu conceito de Art Brut, ou por outro lado,
recorrer as discurssões dos criticos de arte contemporânea nesses tempos turvos de
multiculturalismo, para tentar compreender o trabalho de Flauberto, mais prefiro permanecer no campo das dúvidas, abertos para os golpes inesperados da pintura deste Flauberto do Cariri.

Flauberto ist in der kleinen Stadt Juazeirinhio, Paraiba geboren. Er lebt seit fünf
Jahren in Berlin und nahm bereits an bedeutenden Gemeinschaftsaustellungen
u.a. in Brasilien, USA, Deutschland und de Schweiz teil.
„Flauberto findet seine Inspiration in der überfüllten Welt unserer Alltäglichen
und aus Wortfetzen bestehenden, von Hektik geprägten Umwelt. In den
Straßen der Großstadt, den Korridoren von U-Bahnhöfen oder den tausendfach
überklebten Outdoors an den Häuserwänden finden sich die grafischen
Elemente seiner Bilder wieder. Die Leinwand scheint den gestalterischen
Gestus von Flauberto nur vorübergehend festzuhalten, denn die Intention des
Striches und der Farbkombinantionen weisen weit aus dem verschlossenen,
geordneten Innenleben eines Raumes in die Unbegrenztheit einer ungewissen
Außenwelt unter freiem Himmel
Der Künstler „Flauberto“ lebt und arbeitet seit 5 Jahren in Berlin und ist verheiratet mit Frau Juliane Beer.

„Flauberto“ ist einer der herausragenden Künstler der brasilianischen Kunstszene in Deutschland. Seine Werke, das sind Gemälde, Fotos und Zeichnungen zeigen einen einzigartigen Stil und befinden sich in ständigen Sammlungen der brasilianischen Botschaft, dem „Museu de Arte Contemporânea Assis Chateaubriand“ und Privatsammlungen in Russland, Schweiz, Deutschland und den USA. Außerdem wird er von den brasilianischen Medien zu den wichtigsten fünf aktuellen bildenden Künstlern des Bundesstaates Paraíba in Brasilien gezählt.

Der Künstler präsentierte seine Werke unter anderem im Jahr 2003 auf der Bienale von Novosibirsk in Russland und in einer Ausstellung in der Akademie der Künste in Berlin, erhielt im Jahr 2002 den Preis des Museums in Berlin-Dahlem als „ausgezeichneter Künstler der brasilianischen Kunstszene Deutschland“.
2002 realisierter er ebenfalls eine Retrospektive in den ehemaligen Räumen des brasilianischen Kulturinstituts (ICBRA) aber auch weitere Ausstellungen in Deutschland und im Ausland, wie die Teilnahme als Repräsentant Brasiliens am Projekt „United-Buddy-Bears“ in Berlin, Tokio, Sidney, Istambul, Shangai und Peking. 1998 wurde er in einer Galerie in Zürich und auch in Basel gehandelt. 1995 wurden seine Werke in einem Workshop in Minneapolis (USA) vorgestellt und besprochen.

The first records of Flauberto´s plastic espression starts already

in his childhood in Juazeirinho, a poor and small town two halves by the BR-230 motorway, stuck in the scalding and desolate region of Paraiba`s cariri.

His unrest behaviour did neither spare the walls of the houses and school, nor the huge doors of the stores, not to mention the schools´ chairs and rooms. It is this remote memory that builds the emotional face for his work today, being the world and life at his reach, it this road that cuts his history by the half.

More than consciousness, the object of his art is the obsession with limits. He vindicates his own condition. Flauberto´s works cry for urgency. They vibrante with his own time.

Flauberto is living his life and woking with art without a particular self knowledge. His restless thoughts are registered in any kind of material.

And with no strict definition, the artist believes that what he does comes from the answers to thes questions: Who am I? Where am I? Where am going to? In this way he captures spontaneous artistic expressions from his innerself transforming them into old and rudimentary paintings.

Later, he turns ideas to material, in various languages: painting, object, sculpture, site-specific, photografy, and new medias. And repeat the process all over again.

I am an autodidactic artist. My personal life and art flow parallel on to another. About my art have to say that I don´t belong to any art school, my painting is developed in a very personal base. I don´t need and I don´t have any attraction to academics of the art history. My paintings are very open and free. My inspiration comes from darkness. My ideas are materialized spontaneously, i am don´t plan my painting, that means i only need to have the art materials in my hands and than I start to paint what comes in my head at that moment. If I plan my work, I can not make it. I am a compulsive artist, obsessive. In reality I make an artwork, whenever I need to say something. Sometimes I think I take part of the time of the cavern man, spontaneous, primitive, as the ideas come as vocanoes and eartrquake inside myself that have to be expelled and than to be materialized in any kind of art suport. I don´t have a daily timetable in my art, my art does not care about art that way. I am not worried if my work grows or if am included in certain art systems. This kind of decision from critics who decide what is art does not make part of my personal universe. Art as I see, must be free. The artist ought to be free in any circunstance. For me it is important the quality of art, the material quality too. The art has a good message to the society, the message could be good or bad, but it is important that generations after mine could see and admire and also that part of my ideas in my art works.

For me the reciprocity and the distance between the public and private world are something questionable.

For me the real art and the truly function from art is somethings unknown; my real vision of art is ART IS ATTITUDE. I am not different from the mostly artist, I elaborate my art production alone, the art is something very individual and unilateral. So I have the relation artist and art production. I have no notion of the effect or impact on public after my art production is finished. At my vernissages, through 10 years as artist, I have heard a lot about what the people feel: some people do not understand, some think whatever they want, some understad in a frame of their knowledge. I enjoy and have fun watching the people: I like the public interaction, artist and art, it is like a party for me . I do not support the intellectual side of art.

The interaction makes public take part of the creation process of the artist and I like it very much; and it is natural. In reality anyone can be an artist, it dependes on if one develops its art abilities or not.

The idea of actuality is my everyday routine. I live the present and my paintings register exactly my life at present, but my artistc know-know and inspiration come from the darkness, I do not ask the present as artist. I know that I have to say and do something that comes from inside myself: So is my art present at the actuality of the world and all its diferences and problems: They come as positive signal to me, the actuality does not bother my creative process. I can not have a daly routine as artist. This would be a torture for me, but I don´t have nothing against. My mind works very fast and spontaneous and that happens in my art process too. My daily project begins with the ideas that come in my mind. This is my first priority, then begin timeless work of putting my ideas on the canvas on as an artists everyday.

The artist Flauberto live and work 7 years in Berlin.
Flauberto is one of the outstanding artists of the Brazilian art scene in Germany. His works, which are paintings, photographs and drawings showing a unique style and are in permanent collections in the Brazilian Embassy, and the Museu de Arte Contemporânea Assis Chateaubriand, and private collections Russia,and Switzerland, Germany and the USA. Moreover, it is taken by the Brazilian media on the main current five visual artists of the State of Paraíba important in Brazil.
The artist presented their works among others in 2003 at the Bienal of Novosibirsk in Russia and an exhibition at the Academy of Arts in Berlin, in 2002, the prize of the museum in Berlin-Dahlem asexcellent artists of the Brazilian art scene Germany.
2002 Exhibition the Brazilian Cultural Institute (ICBRA), but also other exhibitions in Germany and abroad, how to participate as a representative of Brazil in the project, United Buddy Bears” in Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, Istanbul, Shanghai and Beijing. In 1998 Exhibition gallery in Zurich and Basel. In 1995 workshop in Minneapolis (USA) presented and discussed.
Contact:
Flaubertocontato@yahoo.com

Os primeiros registros da expressão artística de Flauberto surgem já na infância
em Juazeirinho, uma cidade pequena e pobre cortada ao meio pela Br-230,
encravada na escaldante e desolada região do Cariri paraibano.
A sua inquietude não poupava as paredes das casas, os muros do grupo escolar, as imensas portas dos armazéns de estivas, as carteiras e as paredes do colégio.
É essa memória remota que vai se constituir na carga emocional de seu trabalho atual, quando o mundo e a vida estão ao seu alcance, nessa estrada que corta a sua
história ao meio.
Mais do que consciência, o objeto de sua arte é a obsessão dos limites. Seus trabalhos gritam por urgência, trepidam como o seu próprio tempo, reinvidicando a condição coletiva.
“Comecei a produzir profissionalmente a partir de 1994, embora a vida e a arte tenham
caminhado juntas no desenvolvimento do meu processo artístico. Desde muito cedo
desenvolvi uma forma obsessiva, sistemática e compulsiva de se fazer arte. Nos últimos
dez anos a minha produção esteve baseada principalmente no desenho e na pintura,
mas também desenvolvi, projetos como escultura e instalação.
Os temas da minha vida sempre foram também os da minha arte. Sexo, poder,
dinheiro e religião sempre foram elementos pertubadores e condicionadores da minha
existência. Eu nunca soube explicar como estas coisas se transmutaram de uma condição à outra ( da vida para a arte) , pois sou um artista de intenção e formação autodidatas. Desde muito cedo desenvolvi um tipo de aversão ao modelo de aprendizado escolar, quando abandonei em definitivo os estudos da universidade.
Desde Juazeirinho, cidade onde nasci e vivi, sinto e percebo-me como um indivíduo
compulsivo, obsessivo, agonizante o qual retira do escuro a sua própria luz.
Eu procuro responder à perguntas como: Quem sou ? a quem pertenço? ou por que a minha arte reverbera na minha condição e no meu processo criativo?
Eu e minha arte estamos juntos, de mãos dadas com o desesperador prazer da carne.
Não consigo parar de observar o meu redor, seja em João Pessoa, Salvador,
Rio de Janeiro, Basel, na Suíça, ou em Berlim, cidades que compõem a minha tragetória de vida.
A partir de 2002 comecei a desenvolver um processo que tem a fotografia como meio
e suporte. através de técnicas como colagem, foto-montagem, e manipulação digital.
Encontrei na fotografia um meio de realização pessoal e profissional tão claro e transparentes quanto os outros suportes que já explorei, e que continuo explorando.
Coloco nas minhas fotografias a intransigência e a obsessão dos limites do meu prazer.
Tudo o que eu faço é parte de uma resolução extremamente pessoal.
Quando resolvi incluir a fotografia no meu processo de produção e criação, fiz por acreditar na objetividade e transparência do meio para veicular minha idéias.
Este projeto inicial de fotos que iniciei em 2002, reúne quinhentas fotografias que expressam os meus desejos privados pela vida e os meus olhos diante do mundo.
Para a realização deste projeto, lanço mão do universo da informação como revistas, jornais, livros, fotos ou imagens produzidas por outros artistas, em fim, tudo o que eu vou alcançando com o meu olhar carnal. Nos caminhos de ida e volta para casa vou juntando pedaços da vida que mexem com os meus desejos. ”

A peversão da cores.

Não havia outra saída para Flauberto a não ser a arte. A natureza
reservou para ele uma espécie de peversão das cores. Quando criança seus fins de tarde na cidade de Juazeirinho, Cariri paraibano, eram involutariamente invadidos por uma luminosidade “verde de doer nos olhos”.
Quando caiam a chuvas e a vegetação se enchia rapidamente de folhas, o olhar de Flauberto se perdia na “vermelhidão” dos juazeiros, umbuzeiros e catingueiras.
O olhar de Flauberto é assim; diferente,distorcido e enganoso. Mais que uma questão
de semânticas, as cores para ele sempre foram um desafio, era preciso aprender
não apenas seus nomes, mas também conviver com uma espécie de magia maldosa a qual fazia com que algumas cores, principalmente o verde, desaparecesse de acordo
com o contexto no qual estavam as mesmas inseridas.
Atualmente Flauberto tem um aparente domnio desta situação: as cores parecem estar
codificadas, dominadas para pintar. Ele desenvolveu uma técnica quase mecanizada
onde para cada tinta há um lugar pré-determinado. Mantendo cada uma, uma certa distancia da outra e cada cor é preparada e aplicada de uma só vez, nunca apartir de vários potes ao mesmo tempo.
Conheci a pintura de Flauberto antes mesmo de conhecê-lo ao entrar distraidamente
em uma agência bancária, cujo lugar destinado à exposicoes, sempre me causou
sorrisos no canto da boca. Naquele dia fui desviado com espanto para um conjunto
de grandes pinturas de cores fortes e composições rudimentares.
De perto percebi a imaturidade do artista no preparo das tintas e das telas e fiquei confuso em aceitar aceitar aquilo como arte primitiva ou uma manifestação consciênte e erudita de um jovem artista. Sai dali fazendo associações com o s grafismos de Keith Hering, e com as figuras toscas de A. R. Penk, e com as pinturas infantilizadas de Donald Baechler, sem saber que o então iniciante Flauberto desconhecia totalmente a producao destes artistas.
Os grafismos vigorosos de Flauberto são exercícios de dicotomia, oscilam como uma
dança desengonçada entre uma organização cartesiana, e um caos descontrolado e rudimentar. Variam entre grossas pinceladas de pintor de parede até finos e delicados
traços que se perdem nas composições mais pesadas.
Suas cores vão do artificialismo de um laranja fluorescente de causar náuseas, ao pacifico tons pastéis. Personalidade e pintura alternam-se entre o vibrante e o opaco,
o rude o delicado, o popular e o erudito, o esperto e o ingênuo, o consciênte e o alienado.
As últimas pinturas de Flauberto já revelam uma aproximação com alguns conceitos
apreendidos do turbilhão de imagens da arte contemporânea a qual o artista tem
se submetido nos últimos anos.
Mas ele parece tratar tudo isso com muita personalidade. Conceitos academicos como
equilibrio e unidade, ainda presente na maioria dos artistas da nossa geração,
são completamente ingnorados. A “organizacao” do espaço pictórico de Flauberto
chega a causar um desconforto no olhar. Figuras pesadas são colocadas em cima das
leves, àrvores horizontais pendem das laterais e figuras duras cortam tudo de forma
desconcertante e incômoda.
Sua pintura muda de ritmo como se pintasse ao som de música popular brasileira e rock pesado. Desconheço qualquer artista que tenha traçado para sí próprio uma espécie de cronograma de ação que vai desde o aprimoramento técnico até ações de marketing. Flauberto tem pressa na sua conquista e está sempre se espelhando em estrelas da música popular. Ele almeja galgar rapidamente os degraus que outros artistas jovens nem cogitam.
Quando o interpelo sobre algumas de suas pinturas, Flauberto parece já ter uma resposta para meus questionamentos. Confesso que demoro algum tempo para processar seus resultados, e fico sempre com vontade de dizer , por exemplo, que eu jamais usaria este vermelho ou aquele roxo. A pintura de Flauberto sempre passa do ponto onde eu pararia.
Eu poderia evocar aqui Jean Dubuffet, com seu conceito de Art Brut, ou por outro lado,
recorrer as discurssões dos criticos de arte contemporânea nesses tempos turvos de
multiculturalismo, para tentar compreender o trabalho de Flauberto, mais prefiro permanecer no campo das dúvidas, abertos para os golpes inesperados da pintura deste Flauberto do Cariri.

Texto de( Flauberto e Jose Rufino)
flaubertocontato@yahoo.com
www.flauberto.de
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Flauberto Artist From Brazil / Photo Colage 2004 / Flauberto lives is work in Berlin Germany

Flauberto Artist / From Brazil
Photo Art 2004
Photo Colage
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www.flauberto.de
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flaubertocontato@yahoo.com
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Atencao esta foto tem direitos autorais reservados, ano pode seu usade para nenhuma fianlidade,sem autorizacao do artista autor da mesma
Comments
Flauberto Artist From Brazil Lives is Work and in says:
Uma Arte escancarada ( Ou talvez um devasso que retira do escuro a matéria prima de sua arte)

Os primeiros registros da expressão artística de Flauberto surgem já na infância
em Juazeirinho, uma cidade pequena e pobre cortada ao meio pela Br-230,
encravada na escaldante e desolada região do Cariri paraibano.
A sua inquietude não poupava as paredes das casas, os muros do grupo escolar, as imensas portas dos armazéns de estivas, as carteiras e as paredes do colégio.
É essa memória remota que vai se constituir na carga emocional de seu trabalho atual, quando o mundo e a vida estão ao seu alcance, nessa estrada que corta a sua
história ao meio.
Mais do que consciência, o objeto de sua arte é a obsessão dos limites. Seus trabalhos gritam por urgência, trepidam como o seu próprio tempo, reinvidicando a condição coletiva.
“Comecei a produzir profissionalmente a partir de 1994, embora a vida e a arte tenham
caminhado juntas no desenvolvimento do meu processo artístico. Desde muito cedo
desenvolvi uma forma obsessiva, sistemática e compulsiva de se fazer arte. Nos últimos
dez anos a minha produção esteve baseada principalmente no desenho e na pintura,
mas também desenvolvi, projetos como escultura e instalação.
Os temas da minha vida sempre foram também os da minha arte. Sexo, poder,
dinheiro e religião sempre foram elementos pertubadores e condicionadores da minha
existência. Eu nunca soube explicar como estas coisas se transmutaram de uma condição à outra ( da vida para a arte) , pois sou um artista de intenção e formação autodidatas. Desde muito cedo desenvolvi um tipo de aversão ao modelo de aprendizado escolar, quando abandonei em definitivo os estudos da universidade.
Desde Juazeirinho, cidade onde nasci e vivi, sinto e percebo-me como um indivíduo
compulsivo, obsessivo, agonizante o qual retira do escuro a sua própria luz.
Eu procuro responder à perguntas como: Quem sou ? a quem pertenço? ou por que a minha arte reverbera na minha condição e no meu processo criativo?
Eu e minha arte estamos juntos, de mãos dadas com o desesperador prazer da carne.
Não consigo parar de observar o meu redor, seja em João Pessoa, Salvador,
Rio de Janeiro, Basel, na Suíça, ou em Berlim, cidades que compõem a minha tragetória de vida.
A partir de 2002 comecei a desenvolver um processo que tem a fotografia como meio
e suporte. através de técnicas como colagem, foto-montagem, e manipulação digital.
Encontrei na fotografia um meio de realização pessoal e profissional tão claro e transparentes quanto os outros suportes que já explorei, e que continuo explorando.
Coloco nas minhas fotografias a intransigência e a obsessão dos limites do meu prazer.
Tudo o que eu faço é parte de uma resolução extremamente pessoal.
Quando resolvi incluir a fotografia no meu processo de produção e criação, fiz por acreditar na objetividade e transparência do meio para veicular minha idéias.
Este projeto inicial de fotos que iniciei em 2002, reúne quinhentas fotografias que expressam os meus desejos privados pela vida e os meus olhos diante do mundo.
Para a realização deste projeto, lanço mão do universo da informação como revistas, jornais, livros, fotos ou imagens produzidas por outros artistas, em fim, tudo o que eu vou alcançando com o meu olhar carnal. Nos caminhos de ida e volta para casa vou juntando pedaços da vida que mexem com os meus desejos. ”

A peversão da cores.

Não havia outra saída para Flauberto a não ser a arte. A natureza
reservou para ele uma espécie de peversão das cores. Quando criança seus fins de tarde na cidade de Juazeirinho, Cariri paraibano, eram involutariamente invadidos por uma luminosidade “verde de doer nos olhos”.
Quando caiam a chuvas e a vegetação se enchia rapidamente de folhas, o olhar de Flauberto se perdia na “vermelhidão” dos juazeiros, umbuzeiros e catingueiras.
O olhar de Flauberto é assim; diferente,distorcido e enganoso. Mais que uma questão
de semânticas, as cores para ele sempre foram um desafio, era preciso aprender
não apenas seus nomes, mas também conviver com uma espécie de magia maldosa a qual fazia com que algumas cores, principalmente o verde, desaparecesse de acordo
com o contexto no qual estavam as mesmas inseridas.
Atualmente Flauberto tem um aparente domnio desta situação: as cores parecem estar
codificadas, dominadas para pintar. Ele desenvolveu uma técnica quase mecanizada
onde para cada tinta há um lugar pré-determinado. Mantendo cada uma, uma certa distancia da outra e cada cor é preparada e aplicada de uma só vez, nunca apartir de vários potes ao mesmo tempo.
Conheci a pintura de Flauberto antes mesmo de conhecê-lo ao entrar distraidamente
em uma agência bancária, cujo lugar destinado à exposicoes, sempre me causou
sorrisos no canto da boca. Naquele dia fui desviado com espanto para um conjunto
de grandes pinturas de cores fortes e composições rudimentares.
De perto percebi a imaturidade do artista no preparo das tintas e das telas e fiquei confuso em aceitar aceitar aquilo como arte primitiva ou uma manifestação consciênte e erudita de um jovem artista. Sai dali fazendo associações com o s grafismos de Keith Hering, e com as figuras toscas de A. R. Penk, e com as pinturas infantilizadas de Donald Baechler, sem saber que o então iniciante Flauberto desconhecia totalmente a producao destes artistas.
Os grafismos vigorosos de Flauberto são exercícios de dicotomia, oscilam como uma
dança desengonçada entre uma organização cartesiana, e um caos descontrolado e rudimentar. Variam entre grossas pinceladas de pintor de parede até finos e delicados
traços que se perdem nas composições mais pesadas.
Suas cores vão do artificialismo de um laranja fluorescente de causar náuseas, ao pacifico tons pastéis. Personalidade e pintura alternam-se entre o vibrante e o opaco,
o rude o delicado, o popular e o erudito, o esperto e o ingênuo, o consciênte e o alienado.
As últimas pinturas de Flauberto já revelam uma aproximação com alguns conceitos
apreendidos do turbilhão de imagens da arte contemporânea a qual o artista tem
se submetido nos últimos anos.
Mas ele parece tratar tudo isso com muita personalidade. Conceitos academicos como
equilibrio e unidade, ainda presente na maioria dos artistas da nossa geração,
são completamente ingnorados. A “organizacao” do espaço pictórico de Flauberto
chega a causar um desconforto no olhar. Figuras pesadas são colocadas em cima das
leves, àrvores horizontais pendem das laterais e figuras duras cortam tudo de forma
desconcertante e incômoda.
Sua pintura muda de ritmo como se pintasse ao som de música popular brasileira e rock pesado. Desconheço qualquer artista que tenha traçado para sí próprio uma espécie de cronograma de ação que vai desde o aprimoramento técnico até ações de marketing. Flauberto tem pressa na sua conquista e está sempre se espelhando em estrelas da música popular. Ele almeja galgar rapidamente os degraus que outros artistas jovens nem cogitam.
Quando o interpelo sobre algumas de suas pinturas, Flauberto parece já ter uma resposta para meus questionamentos. Confesso que demoro algum tempo para processar seus resultados, e fico sempre com vontade de dizer , por exemplo, que eu jamais usaria este vermelho ou aquele roxo. A pintura de Flauberto sempre passa do ponto onde eu pararia.
Eu poderia evocar aqui Jean Dubuffet, com seu conceito de Art Brut, ou por outro lado,
recorrer as discurssões dos criticos de arte contemporânea nesses tempos turvos de
multiculturalismo, para tentar compreender o trabalho de Flauberto, mais prefiro permanecer no campo das dúvidas, abertos para os golpes inesperados da pintura deste Flauberto do Cariri.

Texto de( Flauberto e Jose Rufino)
flaubertocontato@yahoo.com
www.flauberto.de
Eine sich aufweitende Kunst -
Oder vielleicht eine Unordnung, die aus dem dunkeln der Rohmaterie seiner Kunst entnommen ist

Die ersten Aufzeichnungen des künstlerischen Schaffens von Flauberto stammen aus seiner Kindheit in Juazeirinho, einer kleinen und armen Stadt, die durch die Bundesstrasse BR-230 in der Mitte durchschnitten wird, eingewachsen in der gühenden Hitze in der desolaten Region von Cariri im Bundesstaat Paraiba. Seine Unruhe verschonte nicht die Wände der Häuser, die Mauern des Klassenzimmers, die grossen Türen der Lagerhäuser, die Banken und die Wände der Schule.
Es ist dieses weit zurückliegende Gedächtnis, welches sich in der emotionalen Fracht seiner aktuellen Arbeit verfasst, wenn die Welt und das Leben in Reichtweite ist, auf diesem Weg der seine Geschichte in der Mitte zerschneidet.

Das Ziel seiner Kunst ist mehr als die Bewusstheit, es ist die Besessenheit an Grenzüberschreitungen. Seine Arbeiten schreien nach Dringlichkeiten, sie beben wie die eigene Zeit und verlangen nach der Kolektivität.

“Ich habe ab 1994 angefangen intensiv Kunst zu machen, so dass Leben und Kunst in einem gemeinsamen Weg meinen künstlerischen Prozess begleitet haben. Bei der künstlerischen Tätigkeit habe ich sehr früh eine besessene, systematische und impulsive Form entwickelt . In den letzten 19 Jahren meines Schaffens habe ich mich besonders mit Zeichnungen und Malerei beschäftigt, habe aber auch Projekte mit Skulptur und Instalationen entwickelt. Die Themen meines Lebens waren immer die meines Lebens, wie Sex, Macht, Geld, und Religion, die immer verwirrende und festigende Elemente meiner Existenz waren.
Ich wusste nie zu erklären wie sich diese Dinge von einer Form in die andere (im Leben und in der Kunst) wandelten, jedoch bin ich ein autodidaktischer Künstler mit Intension und Selbstbildung. Sehr früh habe ich eine Art von Aversion zum Model der schulischen Bildung entwickelt , als ich das Studium an der Universität verlassen habe.

Seit Juazeirinho, die Stadt in der ich geboren bin und gelebt habe, fühle ich mich wie ein impulsives, obzesives und ängstliches Individuum, welches sich aus der Dunkelheit mit seinem eigenen Licht entzieht.

Ich will Fragen beantworten: Wer bin ich? zu wem gehöre ich? oder warum meine Kunst in meiner Kondition und meinem kreativen Prozess nachhallen wird ?

Ich und meine Kunst gehören zusammen, von den vorhandenen Händen mit der verzweifelten Lust am Fleisch.
Ich schaffe es nicht aufzuhören meinen Umkreis zu observieren, sei es in João Pessoa, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Basel, in der Schweiz, oder in Berlin.Städte die die Tragig meines Lebens darstellen.

Ab 2002 begann ich einen Prozess zu entwickeln der Fotografie mit Techniken wie Kollage, Foto-Kollage und digitale Manipulation, als Mittel oder Unterstützung aufweist. Ich habe in der Fotogafie ein Mittel gefunden, der persönlichen und pofessionellen Verwirklichung so klar und Transparent wie anderen Unterstützungen die ich schon genutzt habe, und die ich noch nutze. Ich setze in meine Fotografien die Unnachgiebigkeit und die Obzession der Grenzen von meiner Lust. Alles was ich mache ist ein Teil einer extrem persönlichen Entschlossenheit. Als ich mich entschloss die Fotografie in meinen Prozess der Produktion und Kreation einzubinden, machte ich dies, um an eine Objektivität und Tranzperenz des Mittels zu glauben um meine Ideen zu transportieren. Das erste Projekt von Fotos, dass ich 2002 begonnen hatte, versammelt 500 Fotografien die meine privaten Wünsche des Lebens und meine Augen vor der Welt ausdrücken. Um das Projekt zu realisieren, griff ich zum Universum der Informationen, wie Zeitungen, Jornale, Bücher, Fotos und Bilder die von anderen Künstlern gemacht wurden, also letztendlich alles was ich mit meinem lüsternden Blick erreichen konnte. Auf dem Weg der Hin- und Rückfahrt nach Hause werde ich Stücke des Lebens gesammelt haben, die meine Wünschen berühren. »

Die Perversion der Farben.

Es gab keinen anderen Weg für Flauberto wenn nicht die Kunst. Die Natur hat ihm eine Art der Perversation der Farben bereitgestellt. Als Kind seine Ziele am Abend in Juazeirinho, Paraibanischen Cariri, waren unfreiwilligerweise einfallen durch eine Leuchtende Kraft des “in den Augenen stechenden Grüns”.

Als Regen fiel füllte sich die Vegetation mit Blättern, und der Blick Flaubertos verlohr sich im kräftigen Grün des Juazeiro-Baumes, des Umbu-Baumes und des Catinga-Baumes.

Der Blick Flaubertos ist so – unterschiedlich, verzerrt und trügerisch. Aber in einer semantischen Frage, waren die Farben für Ihn immer eine Herausforderung, denn er muss nicht nur seine Namen lernen, denn auch mit einer Art bösen Magie leben, die mit einigen Farben, prinzipiell mit Grün, erscheint, die in Zusammenhang mit dem Kontext in welchem die gleichen eingefügt waren hervorstechen.
Aktuell hat Flauberto eine Sicht dieser Situation: die Fraben sehen wie kodiert aus, dominiert um zu malen.
Er entwickelte eine quasi machanisiert Technik, wo es für jede Farbe einen vorbestimmten Platz gibt. Jede Farbe hält eine bestimmte Distanz zur anderen und jede Farbe ist vorbereitet und nur einmal anwendbar, niemals aber in vielen Töpfen zur gleichen Zeit.

Ich lernte die Malerei von Flauberto kennen bevor ich Ihn persönlich kennengelernt habe, als ich an etwas anderes denkend eine Bank betrat, an jenem Platz der für Ausstellungen vorgesehen war, die mir immer ein Lächeln in meinen
Mundwinkeln hervorrief. An diesem Tag hielt ich verblüfft vor einer ausgestellten Zusammenstellung an.
Vom Nahen stellte ich die Unvollkommenheit in der Vorbeitung der Farben und der Leinwände des Künstlers fest und blieb verwirrt im Akzeptieren der primitiven Kunst oder einer bewussten oder gelehrten Manifestation von einem jungen Künstler.
Ich ging heraus mit Assoziationen von Grafiken von Keith Hering, und mit den unbearbeiteten Figuren von A.R. Penk, und mit den infantilen Malereien von Donald Baechler, ohne zu wissen was sozusagen der noch unbekannte Anfänger Flauberto mit der Produktion dieser Künstler gemeinsam hatte.
Die vigorosen Grafiken Flaubertos sind Übungen der Dichotomie, schwingen wie ein taumelnder und aus den Fugen tretender Tanz zwischen einer kartesische Organisation und einem unkontrolliertem und rudimentären Kaos.
Es sind Variiationen zwischen ausschweifenden Pinselstrichen des Malers bis hin zu den feinen Linien und Strichen die sich in den etwas grosseren Kompositionen verlieren. Seine Farben gehen von der Künstlic

Great peace of work which encourages all the people to be creative… Lovely, Martin..

hi martin, brilliantly put,i am in total agreement with where your coming from.

Just hand out brushes and paints and tell all teachers to be quiet and listen, have one clear ground rule “no criticism only acceptance” of all that arrives on paper or board. Welcome every image as if it were at guest in your home, for they arrive with news from a distant and beautiful land. xox jenb