Sunday, August 15, 2004
Goodbye Sweetheart
Asalamalaikum all - Greetings of Peace from the depths of my heart and soul :/
...saying goodbye has always been a weakness I've had... almost as if us humans get attached to our surroundings. Surely man thinks he will stay forever the way he is and nothing will change - yet the same man yearns for change.
We are creatures of habitat, yet need change for growth and ultimate actualisation.
If I ever said Tranquilart is a hobby I was lying!
If Tranquilart is meant to be a concept; a way of thinking revolving around notions of returning and finding peace - then saying goodbye must be an element of this thinking? And saying goodbye to none other than the artwork itself ;)
Often I am asked how it feels to depart from the artwork - and often I say not much. But today I really felt the departure and goodbye...
I will include a picture later - for now its sufficient to say that one of the disadvantages of painting on glass is that its very fragile (in comparision to canvas or paper) and the probability of shattering are far greater than many other mediums! Also, the chances of cutting yourself are quite high, especially if you are working on big sheets of glass... that is of course unless you work on glass which is over 5mm thick!
I have spent 20mins this morning scrubbing the calligraphy off a sheet of glass that shattered a few months ago :( In accordance with Islamic teachings, the Word of God Almighty should not be disposed of like other writings... wherever that word is. I remember I almost cried when this piece cracked :'( my brother was in my room when it happened and even his face turned sad..
The initial cracks started on the edge of the glass where there was no paint (since the painting was in the centre) .. he said "dont worry, we can have the sides cut and just keep the middle" ..but then the cracks reached the centre :'''(
The whole process of departing from artwork is one symbolising a reminder that man is not here forever; no matter what philosophy or tradition you adhere to - you will go. Your life will end and you will be no more; in this material existence.
My first encounter with "death" was when I was about 5 or 6... I remember being at a funeral of a young girl (I think she was a year or two older than me).. to this day I can remember her face in the glass coffin. So beautiful and so innocent...
Thus the concept of death was ingrained in my understanding of the world from a young age. Whenever we heard news of death it kind of made sense to me that we must "go" although exactly "where" we must go was a realisation that concreted my view of the world many many years later.
Whilst standing in Arafaat (http://islam.about.com/cs/hajj/f/dayofarafat.htm) I remember thinking to myself: "hey girlfriend this is the closest you will get to the Day of Judgement so if you dont change the way you think by now; you never will!"
From that moment I realised that saying goodbye had to be something I am able to do... and so every time I say goodbye to my artwork... it reminds me of this pact on the plains of Arafaat :)
Peace & Prayers
Wasalam
...saying goodbye has always been a weakness I've had... almost as if us humans get attached to our surroundings. Surely man thinks he will stay forever the way he is and nothing will change - yet the same man yearns for change.
We are creatures of habitat, yet need change for growth and ultimate actualisation.
If I ever said Tranquilart is a hobby I was lying!
If Tranquilart is meant to be a concept; a way of thinking revolving around notions of returning and finding peace - then saying goodbye must be an element of this thinking? And saying goodbye to none other than the artwork itself ;)
Often I am asked how it feels to depart from the artwork - and often I say not much. But today I really felt the departure and goodbye...
I will include a picture later - for now its sufficient to say that one of the disadvantages of painting on glass is that its very fragile (in comparision to canvas or paper) and the probability of shattering are far greater than many other mediums! Also, the chances of cutting yourself are quite high, especially if you are working on big sheets of glass... that is of course unless you work on glass which is over 5mm thick!
I have spent 20mins this morning scrubbing the calligraphy off a sheet of glass that shattered a few months ago :( In accordance with Islamic teachings, the Word of God Almighty should not be disposed of like other writings... wherever that word is. I remember I almost cried when this piece cracked :'( my brother was in my room when it happened and even his face turned sad..
The initial cracks started on the edge of the glass where there was no paint (since the painting was in the centre) .. he said "dont worry, we can have the sides cut and just keep the middle" ..but then the cracks reached the centre :'''(
The whole process of departing from artwork is one symbolising a reminder that man is not here forever; no matter what philosophy or tradition you adhere to - you will go. Your life will end and you will be no more; in this material existence.
My first encounter with "death" was when I was about 5 or 6... I remember being at a funeral of a young girl (I think she was a year or two older than me).. to this day I can remember her face in the glass coffin. So beautiful and so innocent...
Thus the concept of death was ingrained in my understanding of the world from a young age. Whenever we heard news of death it kind of made sense to me that we must "go" although exactly "where" we must go was a realisation that concreted my view of the world many many years later.
Whilst standing in Arafaat (http://islam.about.com/cs/hajj/f/dayofarafat.htm) I remember thinking to myself: "hey girlfriend this is the closest you will get to the Day of Judgement so if you dont change the way you think by now; you never will!"
From that moment I realised that saying goodbye had to be something I am able to do... and so every time I say goodbye to my artwork... it reminds me of this pact on the plains of Arafaat :)
Peace & Prayers
Wasalam
