A Certain Point of View

Claude Levi-Strauss once said, ~Art lies halfway between scientific knowledge and mythical or magical thought, often through the lens of craftsmanship.~ Without a doubt, aspects of our lives and the world around us can most definitely be viewed on life’s tapestry in a seemingly artful way. It’s just a matter of being able to not only have a creative open mind and imagination, but at the same time find a bit of reality concerning the situation as well. What do I mean? Essentially, there are a number of art and movement styles that have the ability to depict the overall landscape of different areas of life. Granted, it may not be viewed the same way by the viewpoint of others since every individual has their own interpretation of what he/she is looking at with their very own eyes when it primarily involves life itself.

Let me ask you this question, what is the first thing that comes to mind when I say the name Jackson Pollack? If you answered Abstract Expression you’re correct. Pollack’s journey of his unique style of drip technique and/or splashing paint onto canvas is truly interesting to the point where the finished product leaves or has left one wondering what they’re looking at. Thinking about it further, it’s the same way with the seemingly “abstract expressionist” friendships we’ve created with our best buds/gal pals and individuals looking from the outside in don’t really or aren’t able to fully understand the uniquely dynamic bond shared so much so they stand there questioning, as well as trying to make sense of what doesn’t make sense at all to them.

As I previously mentioned before, every individual has their own interpretation of what he/she is looking at with their very own eyes when it primarily involves life itself, especially when it comes to matters of the heart in regards to love/true love. Women, more so than men, have the tendency to exude a more romantic expressionist outlook on strong, worthwhile relationships where the purpose is emotion over reason. In other words, women “see” the tapestry of the potential for true happiness with their heart rather than thinking logically, which can certainly be troublesome for their own heart. What it primarily comes down to is taking a step back in order to visualize the bigger picture within, so to speak, instead of taking a real close look at it.

If you think about it, realism in art and in life as it pertains to one’s professional working career are synonymous with each because they both do their best in showing the truth. I think it’s safe to say “Nighthawks” is one of the most famous paintings depicting realism in art and life, which was done by Edward Hopper. It portrays four people in a downtown diner late at night as viewed through the diner's large glass window. The light coming from the diner illuminates a darkened and deserted urban streetscape. For the most part, each one of us sees ourselves sitting in that diner as it is a representation of after working late into the night to climb the quintessential ladder of success then decompressing by grabbing something to eat afterwards.

Oscar Wilde said, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.~ In retrospect, art and life can either be breathtakingly beautiful, chaotically messy, or both. True, every person has quite possibly seen a reflection or a mirror image of their own life in a work of art in whatever form or style. Of course, its subject as well because it boils down to a matter of perspective and just like art having layers on a tapestry there can be a tremendous amount of mentally, emotionally, and possibly spiritual impactful layers to one’s own life too. In the end, whether those artful layers of life are considerably complicated and complex, thought provoking and truly enlightening, or both there are no wrong answers because they come from a certain point of view.