Art appreciation

A group of us from church visited the Cleveland Museum of Art this afternoon which has been undergoing significant renovation for a couple of years now and it won't be completed until 2012. The sections of the museum that are now open include exhibits of European, Dutch, French and American art from the 17th up to the 20th centuries, and the armor court, displaying European Arms and Armor from 1400-1700. Here is a link to online photographs of some of the art we saw today. http://www.clemusart.com/explore/viewCMACollections.asp?cid=P113

One member of our group has significant visual impairments. Pastor Doug and some of the rest of us made an attempt to describe what we were seeing. But of course, words can never do justice for all that the perceptive eye sees....the play of light and shadow in a painting, the artist's skill at rendering detail, shades of color, perspective, emotion, meaning and all the rest.

As a photographer I am particularly sensitive to the play of light and other visual elements such as composition, color and contrast. Photography has been described as "painting with light", noticing the quality and direction of the light and how it is affecting the subject to be photographed, and then working with the light for the most favorable outcome. Thus, I consider myself a visual artist.

"Because the eye loves novelty and can get used to almost any scene, even one of horror, much of life can drift into the vague background of our attention...."* The work of artists is in part, to call our attention to things that might otherwise escape our notice.

In spite of my visual sensitivity, gazing at great works of art today alongside someone who cannot see has renewed and heightened my appreciation for art and beauty and the wonder of vision. And for all those who feel the same, and have given generously so that many thousands can visit the museum each year without charge.

Take a look at this painting and imagine describing it to someone who cannot see and never has: http://www.clevelandart.org/Explore/work.asp?searchText=noah&recNo=1&tab=2&display=

* Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses.

There is more

"She had a farm in Wisconsin..." that's the line I think of in remembrance of my dear friend Joan who passed away several years ago on Christmas day, losing a well-fought battle with cancer. The line is derived from the opening phrase in the book and movie, Out of Africa, "I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills...". (The book was written by Karen Dinesen.)

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Yesterday I came across a note from Joan and so today my thoughts are dwelling on the wonderful memories of the times we spent together.

Among her many other skills and talents, Joan was well versed in agriculture and had studied the subject at the Wooster extension of Ohio State University. She was beginning to live her dream of raising grass-fed beef in a beautiful tract of land surrounded by gentle hills. She had a good understanding of horses, too and was going to use draft horses, Percherons, in the work of the farm. A distinctive feature of this place was how dark it was at night once all the house lights were turned out. There was only one artificial light visible in the far distance.

She and I and another friend Karen met at a time when we were all considering some career changes. We were attending some free career workshops hosted by the library and at the end of the last one I said, "Let's go for coffee" and that started a long series of get togethers even though our paths and locations diverged quite a bit over the coming years.

Joan (seated) and Karen pose as we wait to be seated in a restaurant.

And now a song comes to mind in honor of all the cherished memories, by Andrew Peterson entitled "More". Find out more about More and much more at http://www.andrew-peterson.com/

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An excerpt:
This is not the end here at this grave
This is just a hole that someone made
Every hole was made to fill
And every heart can feel it still
Our nature hates a vacuum

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There is not hardest part of all
This is just the seed that has to fall
All our lives we till the ground
Until we lay our sorrows down
and watch the sky for rain

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Chorus:
There is more
More than all this pain
More than all the falling down
and getting up again

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There is more
More than we can see
From our tiny vantage point
in this vast eternity
There is more

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Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives." John 12:23-24 NLT

Hibernation

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven....a time to be quiet and a time to speak.... (Ecclesiastes 3: 1 and7b NLT).

My blogging mood has been in hibernation, now for seven weeks. There is a time and season for everything. But in the frozen world of winter the barren trees wait. The seeds of ideas that would ordinarily germinate and surface during my walks in the woods, they all have been waiting, too.

It reminds me of the centuries-old practice of letting farmland lie fallow from time to time. It helps to restore nurtients to the soil and reduces the buildup of pathogens and pests that occur when the land is continually planted with the same crop. Scriptural references to this practice call it a sabbath rest: "For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath...." (Leviticus 25: 3-4 NLT). A good idea since the Israelite farmers could not run to the store for pesticides to ward off pathogens and pests. Today the practice of crop rotation is implemented for the same reasons.

And the first day of spring is exactly one month from today.

"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end."

Ecclesiastes 3: 11 NLT