“Awesome?” I recently went for a coffee in town and when the waitress asked me what I would like and I answered “a flat white, please”. She said: “awesome”. Awesome?
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The ability to retain “a sense of wonder” and to be “fearless in the exploration of one's world” are important aspects of life. The world is full to overflowing with the new. It is in a continous state of change. It is waiting to be marvelled at.
By looking at one aspect of that world in depth the artist, in a sense, explores the whole of the world.
Learning is learning. The expansion of the mind and spirit. It is without favour. So it does not matter what we learn, as long as we are engaged in the creative act of learning. Since creative activity is the essence of life, there seems nothing so terrible than to live life without it.
Before I go into the details of this week's column, it may be time to explain why I actually write them. Besides enjoying the act of writing, I feel strongly about encouraging any creative activity in the community. Creative activity is the driving force behind a healthy society. Whether it occurs in an artist's studio, a cafe, a writer's mind, a butcher's shop, a theatre, the football field or a family home doesn't matter. Creative activity on any level is of value, if not for the sense of wonder it promotes, then for the general mental health state of the community. That is why the people who focus their whole attention on this aspect, our writers, artists, dancers, actors, etc. are so important to our society.
The act of writing these columns is also of course, totally selfish, since I feel that the more creative activity takes place around me the better it feels to be here.
The “awesome” experience I was reminded of in the local café happened when I had to travel to Melbourne and, since I had a little time to spare, I went into the National Gallery of Victoria to see what was on show. A lot. However, the title of one exhibition, Sublime Spaces, arrested my attention.
Before I entered the exhibition I sat in one of my favourite seats overlooking the courtyard, to slow down a little from my running around the city and to prepare for a quiet viewing. Without knowing what the exhibition was about, I ran through a few Sublime Spaces I had visited myself.
To stand in the very centre of Stonehenge in England. The Agia Sophia and Blue Mosque, both in Istanbul. An underground domed chapel in the south of France. Around its perimeter stood a circle of monks singing ancient madrigals, adding sublime music. The Nullarbor, a short while before sunrise. Flat, but totally. The circular horizon too far away to sense even. The space underneath a 200-year-old oak one autumn. These are awesome.
Checking the word “awesome”, I found the following: “Extremely impressive or daunting, inspiring great admiration, apprehension or fear.” How does one apply that to a cup of coffee?
Entering the exhibition I, at once, understood the title. The biggest space of them all was represented here. Cosmic Space. Large black photos of the night sky. The stars represented as dots where the exposure was short and short lines where the lens had remained open for different periods of time. There were circular formations reminiscent of a mandala. There were huge spirals interacting. There were formations which reminded me of Piet Mondriaan's earlier paintings of trees. There was immensity and, in a sense, there was infinity, truly awesome.
Standing in front of these large images the concept of photography seemed to disappear. The technical aspects dissolved. Standing there, I was moved beyond all the human input in the work. I was in the presence of something bigger. Much bigger. Like God's work. I was awe struck by the impact and, at times, almost afraid to continue looking. A truly awesome experience.
This Saturday, August 5 I will present a talk for Words in Winter at the Frangos Hotel event room at 4pm. It is free, and you are most welcome. Awesome.
