I have been reading "The Resurgence of the Real" by Charlene Spretnak, mainly because I am researching "The Devine" or "Grace" or "The Spiritual" in us. Being the historian that I am I am interested in how "Grace" has been understood in the past hence I picked up some books on the subject. I want to post here some of my findings and thought. In "The Resurgence of the Real" Spretnak discusses Platonic and Socratic philosopy - one part I found very interesting is when she goes into what she describes (pg. 45) the historical shift in discourse that occured from Socratic "spiritual exultation" or "creative imagination," to Platos reflection on man's "impressive capabilities for rational thought" and the "cultivation of personal and civic virtue as well as powers of discernment and just deliberation where the fruits of (male) rationality, ... and the neoclassical sense of rational man's unbounded potential."
Bottom line Spretnak returns to the traditional binary of rational man versus "spiritual exultation" or "creative imagination." Ah me - I guess that is where I too will begin. Do we need this binary? Can these two things not exist together? What would our culture, our country be like without the two - yes the two not just the one?
To be rational must we cut destroy the " "corrupting" influences of the body (sensations, emotions, desires)..." (pg. 45). The wonderful sensations I am experiencing the return of to my self, after leaving academia, are my emotions, my desires, my passions and delicious pleasures are I believe is the return of my soul to me, the return of Grace within me. It disappeared for a while (nine years to be exact - that total time I was at the University) and I personally am glad it is back - I am much happier for it.
For me I personally believe we need both Plato's reason and Socrates passion .... we don't need the binary. One isn't better than the other. One creates the other.
For me the painting I did called "Her Heaven's Are Filled With Magical Stars" says it all it has both passion, soul and spirit, and reason in design and composition.
I promised myself that in 2010 none of my blog comments would include "wow", "great" or "amazing". I am forcing myself to find other words to describe things. We all like to hear those words about our work, of course, but they can become very "rote" after awhile. So...what I am going to say is that first off, for me, this is not celestial at all...but this is very "floral". Unless it is a "bouquet of stars". The soft tones and the high key of this painting is gentle and supportive and give off happy vibrations. I would all it "Visual Grace". I think we should all go around re-naming each other's paintings based on what they say to us!!! What I worked on today (acrylic) is SO different. But it does have a sort of quiet-life-is-in-order feeing to it. Thanks so much for sharing. Ginnie Jisa said she saw you at the Rusty Putter just recently! One of my favorite places for lunch!
ReplyDelete