⌈Contemporary Living⌉

∧A Now Thing∨

*An esoteric exploration into contemporary living through art and contemplation*

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Inspired by

Moving, the Symbolism, the Change…

♥Moving into a new home♥

Inspiration

The main influence for this blog post is our recent physical move to another location and into a new home. Looking deeper into the significance this holds. The related symbolism of HOME. Living in the now with the change and acclimating to new surroundings.

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A Now Thing

It’s a now thing because this is what it is. Living in the Now.

♥The home as a symbolic representation speaking to us♥

∇Seeing with new eyes

∇Hearing with new ears

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⊗We are moving…

⊗It’s Moving Day…

⊗Settling In…

Having a look around and making sense of it…the catalyst for change as change itself

Our home is the Universe ~ the Universe is in our home. The Universe is inside us. Shapes and lines meet in a Universal wholeness. Nothing needs explanation.

I have slipped between the lines and shapes. I have broken it down to its essence. In this essence I have lost all rigidity, I have become flexible.

^Above images from various areas of our new home^

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ΞThis blog post is inspired three foldΞ

The first influence is that I have been drawn lately to the free expression of abstract art/contemporary art ~ the open air of allowing the imagination to be free without restriction to a pre defined something (for the most part).

Different moments in our life we are drawn to particular styles of artistic expression ~ via all the art channels ~ architecture, literature, music, visual arts, performance art ~ drama, etc…that perhaps are there as an aid to our evolution ~ so we may reach higher, stronger, and elevate our perceptions ~ opening to more of the richness we possess inside that is knocking on our door.

⌈When we approach abstract ~ contemporary art we bring more of ourselves to it⌉

By this I mean, the art breathes life into the viewer via the viewer’s interpretation of it.

Traditional “realistic” art, although certainly varied in its literal expression, evokes more of a this is a this and that is a that. A still life, portrait, landscape, etc…may run the gamete of how it is painted, etc…but nonetheless we in effect have a knowledge base of what we are viewing. Abstract and contemporary art causes us to reflect more, pause more, use our inner senses to come to terms with what we are viewing. It is more wide open in some respects. Certainly, no artistic style is better than another ~ they all rest peacefully and have there respectful place in the all of it.

I am enjoying the freedom of the breeze with abstract/contemporary art, in that each new view is something different ~ a new breeze ~ here then gone like a breeze ~ here then gone ~ then back again ~ a freshness with each viewing ~ again and again.

Repetition

Patterns Repeated

all around us

Patterns are repeated in the Universe. The day comes ~ the night comes: patterns echo order ~ patterns repeat in cycles ~ a mantra is repeated over and over ~ we go deeper into our existence

⇒Repetition in music and chanting⇐

→Ram Mantra repeated↵

Repeated patterns in sound

Sacred sound patterns

Quiet becomes the mind, Quiet becomes the honks of traffic, Quiet becomes all suffering and pain. Pulled back are the shadows, where Light takes it rightful Holy place

^Home ~ what takes place in the home sets the tone for its expression ~ from the outside it is just a home. Likewise what is going on in our inner home landscape sets the tone for our outer external expression. The inner always has more value^

The second influence for this blog post is our new home we are settling into. Our new home is new construction ~ virgin, we are the first inhabitants ~ all is new ~ nothing lived in nor touched ` literally. We were tired of our prior old home built in the 1970’s and opted this time around for a clean palette so to speak as our home base. The canvas is blank. What will take place within the walls? What will the memories be? How will the space be filled? What laughter and song will fill the house? What will the morning light be like ~ what will the afternoon light be like? What is the energy of the house and surrounding area? What is my energy in relationship to it? How will I acclimate> what are the sounds of the house> what are the sounds of the lake>what is the wind saying> what does the house say about all this? So much ~ an empty chalice ~ a fresh beginning.

♥May wherever you reside and our new home be filled with abundant joy, peace, health, and the sounds of Love♥

The journey becomes exciting again. All the pieces fit together ~ the parts of the whole ~ the whole of the parts.

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Quotes on contemporary/abstract art

“Energy and motion made visible – memories arrested in space”
― Jackson Pollock

“Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes….Abstract art enables the artist to perceive beyond the tangible, to extract the infinite out of the finite. It is the emancipation of the mind. It is an exploration into unknown areas.”
― Arshile Gorky

“But nobody is visually naive any longer. We are cluttered with images, and only abstract art can bring us to the threshold of the divine.” ― Dominique De Menil ~ The Rothko Chapel: Writings on Art and the Threshold of the Divine

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The third influence for this blog post, don’t ask why ~ it just sort of happened > is Lou Reed. Namely his second solo album “Transformer” I “just happened” to be watching a documentary on him (Filmrise ~ Classic Album doc’s) and the actual idea of the blog post materialized in my awareness. Reeds love of words and the potential they convey and how the pairing of certain words in a certain way stir the soul, mystique, and his straight forwardness has always drawn me to him. Additionally, his experimental musical style, free form jazz like thoughts and feelings and musical tendencies, openness of mind without defining things, and unique position on life all fits into a abstract/contemporary visual art declaration.

If you are not familiar with him ~ Lou Reed is strongly associated with New York City and touched upon potentially controversially topics. He was an American recording artist and his album “Transformer” is part of the glam rock genre > recorded in 1972 > produced by David Bowie and arranged by Mick Ronson. Most people are familiar with “Walk on the Wild Side” single from Transformer. In the documentary he stated that he was writing about what was going on in his life ~ people he knew and hung out with (including pop artist Andy Warhol and his studio space and “misfit” hang out “The Factory.” in NYC), his environment, what he was experiencing, the tone of the times, etc…

Often we see many artists draw upon and are influenced with what is going on in and as their life. This becomes the vehicle for their artistic voice. This often becomes the great songs we love, the great art we see in museums, the great plays we watch in theaters, etc…This isn’t always the spiral of influence a artist takes ~ as some retreat into a fruitful imaginative world filled with out of this world colors, sensations, expressions, etc…however, in this case the theme here is a reflection of the current life menu.

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Lou Reed ~ Transformer album cover

David Bowie ~ producer of “Transformer” ~ glam rock early 1970’s

^Above is one of the songs from Transformer^

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◊Images from our new home◊

Abstract Art

“Art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and texture.”

Contemporary Art

“Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world.”

Though I look down ~ I can’t help but look up. Though the steps bring me up ~ they also bring me down. So the bird flies ~ So the bird lands.

What lay at the bottom of the stairs? ~ What waits for me above the stairs? What will I meet around the corner? The steps are a vehicle holding infinite possibilities.

The Buddha sits in silence. The silence is eternal.He greets us coming in and coming out. He waits to meet us ~ we meet him in passing ~ passing by ~ passing in ~ passing away.

While looking down as the silent observer, I also move forward ~ leaving my past behind

While looking out, I also look within. When I see without, I am seeing within

Triangles and rectangles ~ lines and shapes. The division of space is a play ~ it hides and seeks and comes and goes.

Though angels walk with us unawares ~ who dines with us unawares?

In the corner, that is the meeting place where all converges ~ from there is decided what is next.

The meeting of the Self happens in unexpected moments when life is just being lived.

What is far away is close, what is close is far away. What lays in between is the truth

The ocean fluid, glasses to hold fluids, our body fluids, fluid is the angel wind on its own agenda, fluid are the wings of birds, fluid is our speech and actions when we flow like water, holy are our thoughts and feelings when we flow like holy water, fluid is the heart that moves the fluid to flow.

Corners signify a turning point in our lives where we meet up with higher ground ~ leaving the shadows behind.

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All Roads Meet

Ultimately whether an artist’s style is abstract/contemporary or traditional realistic (or any artistic expression)~ all roads meet.

What is external is from the internal ~ What is expressed to not be a direct conventional expression of the external is from the internal ~ the desire to express is derived from the internal which then becomes the external.

All art comes from within ~ leading the creator and viewer (who’s who’s ~ well that’s a Unity thing) down varying halls of a One Universal house that reflect and teach us much about our selves. A myriad of expression (s) remind us how infinite our Divine Creator is and how infinite we are. Our potential lays unbounded…

May we all discover and know the infinity that lays within us and remember it is all a One expression of the All.

Blessings of more self discovery of who we really are!