In the Reflective Mirror / Various Artistic Influences 01: The Park
The Park 1997
Lately, I have been feeling rather nostalgic and reflective.
The essence of being an artist, or just human, I presume. Because of this there
certainly has been a sense of longing for things past, their presence
resounding in the influence of various people, periods in time, and artistic
disciplines.
Presently, while writing this post, I am listening to a 10
hour playlist I created of four unique ambient sound artists: Chihei
Hatakeyama, Alva Noto, Sawako, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, all of whom weave found
organic sound samples and electronics to produce dreamlike soundscapes. I
mention these artists because they are currently what I find compelling in new music.
I will share excerpts from reviews about
their music in future posts. This brings to mind that half a lifetime ago in
the year 1977, while driving from NYC to Philadelphia at 4am, I came across the
WXPN’s (University of PA) Starsend electronic music program. Listening to the
surreal sounds of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schultz was the start of many
journeys into experimental music and avant-garde arts in general.
All of this became a reflective thought and ideas for
posting this past week when I saw the film “Smithereens” by Susan Seidelman. I
have not seen this film in years. I remember first seeing it in the early 80’s
when it was first released in NYC. I was excited about coming across the film, and the opportunity of stepping back in time.
But I have been thinking about other influences of the past
as well. How perhaps music, film, festivals, theatre, family, friends travel, exhibits
and art etc., have conceptually developed the artistic vision I have. I hope to explore this phenomenon in future
posts as well. For this posting, I am including a work of art from 1997. It is
one of my all time favorite collages. It is a large 42 x 48 inch composition
depicting the remaining memories of family reunions, during Fourth of July
picnics at the park and in Glenside, PA in the 1960’s. The title of the piece
is “The Park” and my first major showing of the work was in NYC at Agora Gallery
in Soho in 1997.
So I would like to introduce you, my blog buddies and
readers to “In the Reflective Mirror / Various Artistic Influences.
Let me know what you think of the various postings, and
include your creative influences that stand out and reflect your life’s
history.
And up next a musical playlist….
Go Out and See
There is so much beauty that surrounds us. It is a beauty
that can bring us joy when we take the time to “Go Out and See”. This past week, I had the pleasure of being
part of a beautiful day and a challenging bike ride. It provided an opportunity
to see the lovely landscape of farms, rivers and mountains that form parts of
western Haywood County, North Carolina.
It is that time of year when the leaves are coming back as the green
foliage slowly progresses up the mountainside. Winter is being left behind and the
memory of the cold distant mountain is replaced by soft layers of life and
biological growth.
Our journey begins at the town of Crabtree, where we head
west on Riverside Road. Here we bike for several miles next to the Pigeon River
until we reach the town of Riverside. It is here that we start our first
serious mountain ascent. It is approximately 1.5 miles of winding switchback
climbs. Our fast and perilous descent takes us to the town of Panther Creek,
where we begin the long sweeping terrain of hills and straights. Halfway
through our journey we merge onto Fines Creek Rd. In the town of Fines Creek is
the only gas station in more than 15 miles in any direction. We fuel up on
nuts, fluids and protein, and encourage each other for the mammoth climb to come.
One man, who is fueling his tractor,
asks us are we going up the mountain, in which we reply…yep that’s the plan. He
smiles and laughs and says “good luck”. He obviously knows something about the
mountain we don’t. But we know it is a 1.5 mile climb with a 5% gradient. It is
straight up with one or two slight curves. It is intimidating. We start the
climb and there are times when I look up and all I can see is the road horizon
in the sky. There are times when I want to stop, my will in question, my legs
in pain, but realize how difficult it would be to start uphill without momentum.
The descent at speeds nearing 40 mph is
a test of skill and nerve to say the least, but liberating. For nearly 2 miles,
one can only hold on aerodynamically and hope that no unforeseen problems
arise. Finally, after 18 miles, our return to Crabtree is a quick flowing pace
that allows for some reprieve and scenic viewing.
After the bike ride, the best part of the day is the drive
afterwards. We retrace our journey via the car and take photographs. Eighteen of
two hundred have been digitally retouched and included in the slideshow.
So what do we gain when we “Go Out and See”? For me, there
is the liberating feeling of joy that can stay with you a lifetime. There is also the possibility of discovering things
once unknown in my surroundings and in my soul.
What motivates you to take time out of your busy schedule to
“Get Out and See”? What would you like to discover in nature or local history? What
would it mean, and how would it enrich your life?
Take a moment and think about the last time you made the
extra effort to get out and discover. Let me know what you found.
Race Day April 3rd 2011
Mountain biking race day at Tsali Recreational Park, North Carolina
It is Race Day
Take what life gives us
Let us meet under the great pavilion
Where the sounds of aspirations
Are heard in the ballet of bikes
It is race day
Clutching our forged carbon loves
Sinewy muscles tense with sweat
We dream the dance
The dance of the mountain
It is race day
There is life in every breath
Let us meet silently at the starting gate
The noise of wind and sky to shatter our thoughts
While colors merge
A kaleidoscope forms
A kinetic fleeing pursuing blur
Rotating wheels and quick descents
Gorges rivers trees and falls
Pick yourself back up
Your pain body calls
And look up into the crying sky
To a transformative end
Finding yourself deep inside
It is race day
Transcending our weekday life
We are here to meet in joyous celebration
The sound of Kopeland
The sound of music
Victory for one
Pleasure for all
While arms and smiles embrace
Here at Tsali North Carolina
Its sure to be
A great race
Last Night a Dream and a Celebrated Life Deeply Loved.
A dream can be like a blooming rose touching all our senses.
Several nights, in the last two weeks, I have dreamt of loved ones whom have passed on. And still their love remains. My daughter and my mother came to me and shared their life energy and love with me. They brought moments that had been forgotten and weaved them with the essence of my own thoughts, perceptions, and desires. Dreams always seem to be about people, places and life’s moments intertwined. There are waves of reality, sometimes in a surrealistic manner, merging us with the floods of memories, emotions and deep aspirations. We at times never want to wake up, as we reach across the void to touch and hold on just a moment longer.
What does a dream mean to you? How does one interpret those dreams? These are questions that we have, on many occasions, asked ourselves. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a dream as; a series of images, ideas etc., occurring in certain stages of sleep.
There is always a deeply hidden, yet revealing message in a dream. The nature of a dream is its ambiguity. When we sleep with a dream, we see and feel the unknown, and when we wake, there is the longing for connectivity, revelation and a glimpse into the meaning of our lives.
This post is an invitation for you to describe what a dream means to you, or share a dream that has given you a sense of a life celebrated and deeply loved.
At the Summit, the Tree of Life Love Art and Faith
The Blue Ridge Mountains at the Summit of Waterrock Knob
At the Summit, the Tree of Life Love Art and Faith
“Just as the sun shines equally on the cedar and the little flower, so the Divine Sun shines equally on everyone, great and small”.
“Love can accomplish all things. Things that are most impossible become easy where love is at work”.
“Faith and hope give way to love; we had found already the One we were seeking”.
Quotations from:
Sermon in a Sentence: A Treasury of Quotations on the Spiritual Life
ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX
Trees have always presented themselves as being unique and mysterious to me. When I began drawing years ago the most interesting structure in a landscape was the tree. There are so many forms in the roots, trunks, and branches that can create beautiful art and design. As an abstract and surrealist artist, trees seemed to embody a great mystery. And for me, sitting under a tree provides a place of rest, visions for creative thought, and spiritual recollection.
Walter W. Smith
At the Steps of Wall Street and the Powers that Be, Our Price for Freedom
Sometimes In the Waking the Reality Is More Pressing than the Dream 2011 remix
Sometimes in the waking the reality is more pressing than the dream.
Last night, I awoke after a troubled sleep. A desperate sense of uneasiness embodied my Spirit. I really wish the soul of the world somehow was different, had been different, since the beginning of time. Perhaps then, millions of people, of all races, throughout creation and evolution would not have had to fight so hard for their freedom. That fight certainly continues today, in the streets and at the steps of institutions throughout the land with a fervent oscillation of desperation, purpose and will.
We want freedom they shout!
Last night I was dreaming that I was in a Wall Street Bank that had been converted to a video store. I was attempting to return three videos and was told I had purchased a video that I knew that I had not, a video whose contents I was at odds with….
It was the stripping of my freedom.
It was a beautiful building. The architecture was designed to rise above all in its majesty and prestige. It once was a symbol of power and hard earned wealth. And now the money terrorists had taken over…literally in the dream and in life….
Scenes of surrealism abound….
In the dream I spent several minutes walking the aisles viewing such great documentary and feature film titles such as Food Inc., Gas land, Citizen Kane, District 9, Sunshine, and Inside Job. While cruising, I simultaneously began noticing a sense of tension in some of the patrons. However, most had come to grip with the situation and seemed to be not at odds with their oppressors, the money terrorists. A group of Tibetan Buddhist Monks (who I must say are at the forefront of courageous freedom fighters) are reciting mantras, handing out pamphlets and inviting everyone to India, Tibet and Nepal. A group called Meet the People Time Forgot is touring America e.g. the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, Independence Hall, and the Philadelphia Zoo. The organization is known for its strict membership requirements i.e. only the downtrodden, the young, the old, the disabled, the unemployed, the underemployed, the disenfranchised and those lost at sea may apply. During short interludes, in life, when all their possessions were not being taken from them, they were to be found in the rear vaults; amusing themselves and passing time by playing games of pinochle, gin rummy, strip poker and blackjack. The Buddhist Monks, after having given out the pamphlets, gracefully sat down (yoga style) and held a ‘throw-down’ Zen tea party…unreal Tea Partiers were not invited. Everyone seemed entranced, even one of the money terrorists could not resist the enticing smell of freshly baked goods such as biscuits, cookies, cakes, chunks of butter, lard and manure, and jelly-filled pastries from Dunkin Donuts. On the winding staircases that circumvent the bank, teenagers (e.g. two or more black youths (a “Wolf Pack”)), hip grunge girls from Seattle (listening to Nirvana on their IPods) are strolling (oblivious to the stealing of their constitution and American values) while sipping from designer tea cups; their right hands delicately holding small thimble sized cups of licorice, jasmine, ginseng and caffeine free Echinacea tea. The aroma and taste is downright toxic, I shake my head in affirmation; I pause, center myself, and prepare to “take on the man”.
Yeah, he puts up a good fight. They all do, the money terrorists—a lot of power and influence they possess and wield. And he is nonetheless persistent in his disillusionment, dreaming of ways of putting me down, kicking us to the curb. So I have to be as willful in my rebuttal, in my response, in my voice…..
So I protest, and line the halls of institutions and squares all over the world shouting… I am willing to die for my freedom and yours.
Join me….
And never give up the fight.
At the Steps of Wall Street and the Powers that Be, Our Fight for Freedom
Faith and Choice that Move Mountains
Faith and Choice that Moves Mountains
When it comes to faith as a guiding light, and planting a seed, it is true that the smallest of gestures can produce a life altering experience. At the heart of these moments in life—there is a decision. It is a decision born almost overwhelmingly, of fear, doubt and hope. In these overwhelming moments we can be distracted by our emotions, by our circumstances. And find that there is beauty in madness and in faith, and sometimes they exist in us simultaneously.
I can remember looking back at the moments in my life wherein decisions had to be made that would change my life dramatically. Those moments were so intense that only faith or fear could move me—could move the mountains in front of me. In one instance, I remember looking up to the sky, on a cold Wisconsin night, knowing that speaking, declaring, just a few words would concretely change the course of my life for years to come.
And I spoke those few words….
And in days my life changed….
Was I acting on faith or fear? Do we really understand the mysteries of our decisions? Are they our own? And what is the value of the question, will I regret this moment this decision? As life goes on, it all becomes the past. Looking back, into that past for answers to the present is ultimately meaningless. Life is only the present moment with many paths leading to it. Yes we can learn from the past, but ultimately, it cannot change this present moment, this opportunity for awareness, nor to move forward in faith. Each present moment has its own decision, its distinct opportunity to exhibit faith and trust in the mystery of life.
We do “move mountains” with faith, with the words we speak, with our alignment with Source.
And we also “move mountains” with self reliance, accountability and knowledge…
Choice.
That decision that day did change my life for years to come. And at times, I still question did I do the right thing. But as the years have come and gone, I’ve learned to train my mind, to live closer to this present moment and the life, that decision, in part has given me.
Transcending the Ambiguities of the Heart (at sea remix 2011)
Transcending the Ambiguities of the Heart (at sea remix 2011)
Transcending the Ambiguities of the Heart
Prologue from Miles Ahead / Everything But the Girl / From Life and Stolen Innocence by Walter Smith
“Life on the oceans of the world is sustained by the luck of the draw—same as on land. At times it is called, (in recent history) the ‘American Dream’—the need to discover, possess and to be miles ahead. We find ourselves by looking beyond the impending realization, (everything but the girl) —reaching for it with fervent desperation. At other times it’s a sighting too late and the course not taken. Drifting for what seems like the duration of timelessness on the empty sea of lost love. For centuries man has sailed the seven seas and oceans of the world—in search of…”
He paused, smiled and then continued, “A couple of good stories to tell a young seafarer.”
Maybe Tomorrow a Similar Question a Different Answer 04
The Backyard in Meditation 04 2011 remix
Hi Liz
I woke up today, far away, in The Backyard of Meditation…
Thinking and Imagining…
Art.
Major effects for The Backyard in Meditation 04: Multiple layers, Displacement Map @ 48 % blur, Displacement Properties @ 2D offsets, intensity 24.00, and edge mode: wrap. Artistic Effect: Chrome @ 4 % flaw, and 50 % brightness.
The Backyard in Meditation 2004 Digital Collage / Multiple layers and photographs a urban / nature transformation
Maybe Tomorrow a Similar Question a Different Answer 03
The Backyard in Meditation 03 2011 remix
Hi Liz
The question is the method in which one creates art… Sometimes in the waking I have a kinetic dream… I love the mystery of art, and find the meaning in the process of creating.
A series of posts in fragments explore the possibilities. And as John Cage the avant-garde artist and composer would see it; art by random chance—whatever the computer dictates.
A series of effects upon the landscape the Backyard in Meditation 03, a soft focus and a repeating of the displacement map—finding oneself, losing oneself—melting into the process.
Abstract Art and Surrealism are early influences: Jackson Pollack and Salvador Dali fuel the fire and stroke the process.
The meaning, the how, and the essence is in the process.
Major effects for The Backyard in Meditation 03: Multiple layers, Displacement Map Repeat (3) @ 48 % blur, Displacement Properties @ 2D offsets, intensity 24.00, and edge mode: wrap. Soft Focus @ 90 % softness, 100 @ edge importance (Focus), 80 % amount, 50% halo size, 90% halo visibility (Halo). Edge Effect, Erode.
Maybe Tomorrow a Similar Question a Different Answer 02
The Backyard in Meditation 02 2011 remix
Hi Liz,
You asked about the process of creating my work. That question is perhaps leading me to think about this as a series of posts that in fragments will convey the answers visually and instructional. So with that in mind, here is a collection of answers highlighted in large type. I have a large inventory of images from over the years. And as I have said on my website, the computer allows for what seems like infinite possibilities of creative choice and energy. I have certain steps that are basic such as photo correction (done first and throughout the image manipulation). I then create a series of effects, which are based on the photo style itself (portrait, landscape, abstract, etc) and in which direction I want the image to go (sharp or soft, but always rich in color and form). I love to layer my images when creating large conceptual pieces. However for the posts I am usually looking at more simplistic imaging to correspond with the immediacy of the posting. I find this to be like “sketching”. Sometimes I can complete an image for a post in 30 minutes or less. The internet and social networking provides a new art medium in-of-itself. It can dictate how an artist approaches his own work. It also forms a new way of communicating with large exposure. In the past the concentration was on gallery exhibitions, and producing hard copies, (prints) etc. But now, I can also hope to find various internet vehicles to promote, and to create, new visual processes for the future.
Major effects for The Backyard in Meditation 02: Multiple layers, Glowing Edges @ 3% intensity, 20% sharpness.
Transcending the Mundane
Finding the path to Liberation and the end of cyclic existence
Our daily lives at times are filled with what seems like perpetual forms of the mundane. This is when the life around us appears to slow down and things appear to stand still. The thinking mind is no longer centered, but restless—searching for something to attach itself to. It is moments like this that we long for distraction. We may at this time unknowingly appear to be succumbing to this longing, but it has been there all along. It is the ego and it is at the foundation of our cyclic existence: (samsara): uncontrollably being reborn under the influence of disturbing attitudes and karmic imprints.
Today, I am experiencing such disillusionment or distraction. I am not at all centered. I want to think of something to do or find a profound gesture to give my life greater meaning. I say to my-self “you can create some art, or write a post for the blog or rehash thoughts about what I want out of life.” Now that (rehashing thoughts) is certainly a great way to keep one-self distracted—to be out of the present moment. The quickest way to address these moments of being “lost” in our thinking is to sit quietly and just observe the thoughts through our practice of meditation. Let the thoughts, like the waves of the ocean, rise and fall. We can say to ourselves, “I am thinking.” This is the beginning of Liberation: freedom from cyclic existence and Nirvana: the cessation of unsatisfactory conditions and their causes.
So today, I see the mundane for what it really is: a distraction from what is: We may call it mundane, but it is life itself in this present moment, and we can learn to embrace it.
And when we see it for what it truly is, we are free from any misconceptions that may arise.
We are on the path to Liberation and the end of Samsara.
The Spark that Ignites Our Dream of Love Soon Fades Away
A 2011 remix for Life and Stolen Innocence with poem
four point two million sympathy cards hallmark dissipating blue-clear skies to purple gray skies vertical sky-cam a gun in hand aisle four
the sound of a distant airplane voices behind closed doors clear skies, green grass, eternity hand-held sony super 8 interviewing clips from serial mom and fourth of july picnics
christmas morning echoed screams polaroids father knows best sleep in pain, wake to fear, live without love family sitcoms circa: 1960’s
The Narrow Way: Choosing a Path
- When we find a path that leads back to ourselves, we discover things anew
In 2002 I moved from Philadelphia to South Carolina. It was a time for a deliberate and conscious change. The beautiful natural landscapes of the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia all provided a sharp contrast to the harsh urban decay of what was becoming, in some parts, the City of Philadelphia. It was a very positive move for me, and I immediately embarked on a journey to rediscover some important sustaining elements of my life i.e. Mind, Body, Creativity and Spirit. I call them my Four Jewels. The very first thing I did when I arrived was go up into the mountains. I hiked, explored and found beauty, space and peace. Hiking as an adventure has a wonderful aspect to it, that is physical, emotional and exploratory. Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is home of the Mile High Swinging Bridge and various trails. It is one of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi. While walking along the bridge, above the beautiful gorge below, one can begin the journey of self discovery. And in doing so, find a subtle, yet profound emergence of the meaning of man and nature as one.
The Narrow Way / The Bridge to Knowing
- The Narrow Way / The Bridge to knowing begins with your daily meditation practice
We often try to understand who we are through the process of knowing. In doing so, we come face to face with a peculiar dialectic. That peculiarity is how to bridge the awareness of being the knower and the known. To do this, one must understand that everything in awareness is known because of you. Our perception of the things around us is derived from an ever changing inherent existence. Things can never exist upon their own power, nor can the awareness of things be from the thinking mind alone. We exist in that place in between the two — You are Knowing. It is the state of Knowing that frees us from the misconceptions, the untruths of the object / known relationship and the subject / knower relationship. We begin the journey with our daily practice in meditation, and move forward when we let go of ourselves and the world around us and just Be That which Is.
Maybe Tomorrow a Better Dream a Better Life
2011 remix of Life and Stolen Innocence, Recovery and The Spark that Ignites Our Dream of Love Soon Fades Away
Millions of children, throughout the world, are abused in one form on another. It is heartbreaking that they must live with the sharp pain of an unkind word, neglect, shame, or physical torment. It shatters their hopes and dreams. As a society we cannot lose sight of what a young girl or boy experiences when their trust in those who should protect them is betrayed. We as a community, a village, must extend love and compassion, hope and inspiration that tomorrow’s dreams and life itself can and will be beautiful, safe and fulfilling. There is a lot of space in the hearts of all children to find that warm embrace, the story that leaves a smile, and a relationship that is love.
Hopes, Dreams and Stolen Innocence
- A 2011 remix of the 1993 exhibit Life in Stolen Innocence
Lately, I have been thinking about the human condition. How we must see ourselves as the protectors of the young and the innocence throughout the world. How our society prevails, or should prevail in a time of moral entropy. How we must find the courage to uphold the moral reason for love and compassion. In this post entitled “Hopes, Dreams and Stolen Innocence” and the related post, “Maybe Tomorrow a Better Dream a Better Life”, I look back at works, from the past that I have created in the attempt to address these issues. In 1993, at Atlantic Community College, I exhibited my photo / text piece entitled “Life and Stolen Innocence” i.e. the fictional depiction of two young girls growing up simultaneously—one child living in a loving and sustaining home, and the other child in an abusive home environment. And in 2002 I revisited this examination with the digital collage “The Spark that Ignites Our Dream of Love Soon Fades Away”. Both works were an attempt to focus on the idealism of youth, in the shadow of dreams and hopes lost.
Life in Every Breath
Love and Compassion in the service of others for the post Life in Every Breath
Today I had the Honor of being of service to an individual, who over the years, I have come to love dearly. He has some special needs, and a heart to be filled with love. It is a beautiful thing what we discover in ourselves when we help others. I felt a great sense of well-being–finding its source in the expression of love through active compassion. In Buddhism, we learn that compassion is the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering and its causes, and that love is the wish for all sentient beings to have happiness and its causes. Let’s find a way together to build our hearts as one instrument in the service of others.
A horoscope perspective for a Gemini the twin / 1/13/2011
To see ourselves in multiple views, is to know ourselves as one
Astrologer Hunter Reynolds says that when you are at your best, you Geminis specialize in “enlightened impatience.” You don’t get trapped expressing polite deference in situations that drain your energy. You don’t tolerate boring experiences just because they’re supposed to be good for you. You’d rather “err on the side of learning-through-too-much-movement” than get bogged down in “principled sluggishness.” But while that’s how you are when you’re at your peak, you can also be susceptible to the dark side of this talent. Sometimes you abort a potential breakthrough by prematurely fleeing a useful but difficult scene. I suspect you may be prone to that kind of behavior right now. My advice: Be skeptical of your escape reflex.
The Mirrored Mind in Meditation
A view of ourselves through the reflection of relationship
Over the weekend, a spiritual mentor that I highly respect sent me an email. It was a very thought-provoking and beautifully written letter. I found myself musing over its content. Particularly the heart-felt examination of how our relationships are there as “sort of mirrors.” So we can “see” ourselves. Lately, in conversations with others, I am beginning to find that this as a defining aspect of a relationship is taking hold. It has profound meaning. Is it why we share ourselves with others? Is it the longing to know ourselves through relationship? What do we learn? We may never quite know how to maintain a relationship, nor how to uphold companionship, but we certainly and sometimes unwillingly do see ourselves in the mirror of that relationship.
In continuing the theme of the stillness of mind and in it, the revealing of self-awareness, I am posting this piece entitled “The Mirrored Mind in Meditation.”
The Mind in Conscious Meditation
From the series Chakra Flowers for Meditation 2009
The background image for my blog is one of the visual components for the final piece entitled: “The Mind in Conscious Meditation.” Over the past few years I have begun to meditate on the Dharma teachings of emptiness: the lack of independent or inherent existence. This is the ultimate nature or reality of all persons and phenomena. In 2009 I started a series of works entitled “Chakra Flowers for Meditation.” This series embodies the concept of mindfulness and nature as one–with flowers as one of its main abstract elements. Here is the final image in its completion.
First thoughts to my friend Leslee
The View from our mind
Hi Leslee,
What a powerful vehicle blogging will be for you. You are insightful and thoughtful in your perspectives on mindfulness. I will enjoy gaining wisdom from you and sharing my thoughts with you as well. While reading your first blog, I sat quietly for a moment and pondered on the pursuit of being one with our lives in all its fullness. It can be challenging to let go of our fears and attachments, however the journey and the enlightenment found therein is the most important thing.
Thanks again, and I hope our communication about ideas, art and life grow.
Your friend in Spirit and Love
Namaste
Walter
n e w d i g i t a l s c a p e s 