Art Beyond Permission—Understanding

For many years. Years that proceeded my forays into different mediums of art.

oh, to lie

I had suitably, I thought, left to the upper echelons and those who had "deep understandings of the crafts they chose to pursue" to enjoy and consume, let alone create it myself.

lie in peace

I had been under the impression, rightly or wrongly, that art, in all its two-dimensional glory, was somehow not for me.

peace without worry

Opera and classical music, in all their beauty, were designated mysterious mediums, classified as off-limit mediums I could not ever hope to understand unless I took the deepest dive and became an expert.

worry and concerns

This is, of course, ridiculous. There are, of course, those who would rather someone like me not frequent the corridors of an art gallery.

concerns about vile

But they are, by and large, foolish gatekeepers trying their level best to keep the great unwashed from their precious paintings and sculptures.

vile and malicious

I do not fully appreciate the ins and outs of every artist's pressures, strains, joys and loves, nor do I have the slightest interest in diving headfirst into the intricacies of strokes and paint types.

malicious and ill

Who. Cares?

ill will, intent

Surely, the point of paintings, like any form of art, is that they either hold up a mirror to society or move and stir you.

intent is inconsequential

I hate that it took so long to realise that the gatekeepers were wrong.

inconsequential when dreaming

They were wrong to try to dissuade me from enjoying art for what it made me feel, not what they desired I should think about it.

dreaming at peace

Now, when I look at art, I see not just the effort but also the mindset and the passion that the artist poured into their work.

peace of mind

Do I seek out the more significant, deeper meanings?

mind, body, soul

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

soul is strengthened

But, if I love a piece purely at face value without digging deep, I don't fret or worry about not understanding it on an academic, intellectual or scholastic level.

strengthened in sleep

I can gaze at the wistful, dreamlike painting of a woman at rest, without worry or concern, in her femininity,

sleep so deep

free from the strains of modern life and the advances of men,

deep as valleys

with her feline companion and the bird that happened upon across the open window and also sought refuge from the world we inhabit,

valleys of green

a world that is at times stressful, frightening and dangerous but also beautiful, life-affirming and transformative.

green with blue

The world that lies beyond my window,

blue above, sky

as it does the woman,

sky of stars

in her joyful rest.

stars shining over

I sink back and admire.

over me, us

Admire the brushstrokes.

us peaceful bedfellows

The brushstrokes and mastery of craft on display in such a wonderful piece of art.

bedfellows—humans, animals

animals—my friends

friends don't betray

betray like humans

*

Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: I decided, after much deliberation to stick this in the Poets community, because it had more relevant tags, although it is technically a part-poem, part-fiction, and part-non-fiction take on Raymond G. Taylor's "Art Inspires: a challenge". It was formed from two ideas I had to approach the challenge that worked well together. I have included a link to the main challenge page. So have a go if you have not already! It was formed from two ideas I had to approach the challenge that worked well together.

In the man's own words:

The challenge is to look at a picture (Night Jasmine 2 by Eileen Cooper RA) and write a story, poem or critique about what you can see or feel when you view the image. You don't have to know anything about art to write a story or poem inspired by painting or print. All you need to do is to spend a few minutes looking deep into the picture, to see what interest and emotions it may excite. Even if you don't like the picture your feelings can be distilled into a great story to publish on Vocal.

Here are some other pieces by me you might find interesting: