too complicated to be a noun
“Art is…always on its way, too complicated to be a noun and ineffectively contained in form.”
We, too, are always on our way. With no ‘ending’ to our learning. Our bodies (and feelings!) change from one day—sometimes one moment—to the next, preventing any tidy arrival at a perfect understanding or perfect and permanent comfort. The passage above is from Jordan Stein’s Rip Tales Jay Defeo’s Estocada & Other Pieces. It’s one of those books that reminded me it’s okay to be slow and to take time, a long time, to follow an interest. I learned about so many wonderful artists through this book, which is always exciting. But I’m sharing this with you here because of the passage above and this one below:
“DeFeo’s photographic fragments are just failed failures, oddly successful articulations of what’s perpetually on the line for artists: there’s no big picture return on investment and no one can do it for you.”
Even though DeFeo’s photographic fragments didn’t end up as “successful” photos, I’m pretty certain that with every attempt she was improving, refining, and sharpening her thinking. Just as in Awareness Through Movement, you may emerge from the lesson (or several), not sure of what you “got.” But the time is not wasted. Over time, the practice will also help you improve, refine, and sharpen your thinking. And clearer thinking improves…everything.