Prelude
I am often criticized for not describing the meaning of my paintings or the thoughts and ideas that occupied my mind at the time, leading to the creation of a certain piece!
My answer, has always been that whether I am writing or painting, an image or a thought pattern comes to me and remains center-stage on my mind’s eye; and the only way I can clear my mind is to bring that image or thought pattern into life...
I refuse to dilute or influence the reader/viewer's mind by sharing what a piece means to me, simply because I want her/him to see the painting or read the poem/story with her/his own eye and based on her/his perceptions...
I want to provoke thought, not "direct" it!
The beautiful fact is that each observer will draw a completely different inference, see beauty or ugliness, truth or fiction, and reach a vastly varying conclusion independently. And that, gives my work more than one dimension!
Today, however, I am breaking my own rule...
Although, I will not describe every detail of this piece and what it means to me, I will share the underlying premise.
The reason I am doing so, is because "I have something to say"!!!
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The "duality of things" has not only been a great source of fascination for me throughout my life, but it has been a cornerstone of creative thought throughout the ages.
The best and most recognizable of all is the YIN- YANG symbol which represents the ancient Chinese understanding of how things work. The outer circle represents "everything", while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies, called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause everything to happen. They are not completely black or white, just as things in life are not completely black or white, and they cannot exist without each other. While "yin" would be dark, passive, downward, cold, contracting, and weak, "yang" would be bright, active, upward, hot, expanding, and strong. The shape of the yin and yang sections of the symbol, actually gives you a sense of the continual movement of these two energies, yin to yang and yang to yin, causing everything to happen: just as things expand and contract, and temperature changes from hot to cold…
The eternal struggle between good and evil within all of us...
The beauty and the contrasting ugliness that our eyes and minds judge in every single thing every waking moment...
Success versus failure....
Happiness and contentment versus sadness and unfulfilled dreams...
And…
For those among us who are religious, heaven and hell...
If you know me, you are well aware that I am as far as one can possibly get from being religious...
And if you have read my work, you already know that I strongly believe that:
- Our heaven and hell are here and now.
- The choices we make, dictate the lives we lead (there is no such thing as god's will or faith).
- The universe is NOT one dimensional!!! In fact, there is an infinite number of universes that exist simultaneously and in parallel!!! With every single choice, we shift from one parallel universe to another. And furthermore, the collection of our individual choices, cause our individual universes to cross, thus creating the reality of our day-to-day lives and shaping our interactions and relationships!!!
So, the YIN-YANG, and the duality of things in life, are both the "cause" of the choices we make in life (by giving us opposing options), and the "effect" of the choices we make (which parallel universe continuum we select)!!!!
The universe, then, becomes a collection of infinite parallel circles, chaotic and yet extremely organized!!!
In this line of thought, everything is summed in "CHOICE"!!!
Which door to select?...
To open doors or to keep them shut?...
So, the goal is not necessarily to make the "right" choice!!!
Rather, the goal is to make choices in a way that one would not regret making them down the road!!!
What is the difference? You ask?
Let me explain:
I am confident in saying-with a very high degree of certainty-that we have all made choices (with our hearts) when our brains clearly foretold and cautioned us that the end result would be illogical, and that the outcome would be less than desirable or far from optimum...!
We fall in love...
And let its river of emotions sweep us away...
We may know at the time that what we are doing is far from reality and logic...
We may know that the final outcome will not be, or cannot be what we desire....
But we do so regardless...
The passion, too addictive...
The temptation, far greater than our sense of reason...
Our hearts filled with opiates of excitement & passion, we live for that moment...
Intoxicated, we let go, lose grip and willingly "go for the ride"...
Some may call this an example of foolishness...
Some, control their desires more strictly than others...
But I submit to you that those people who choose not to open the door-although logical and correct-"live far less” than those who do!!!
It is, once again, a matter of CHOICE!!!
Do we resist the temptation of falling in love (in this example), and as such, miss out on all that could be? Just out of the fear of a possibility of a bitter end?
Or do we dive in boldly, and LIVE and experience all the wonderful offerings of this forbidden fruit?
Still sounds foolish and irresponsible?
Maybe...
But who says that we should always be logical and responsible?
Who says what is responsible and what is not?
The definition of responsibility depends entirely on each individual’s perspective and value system!
Do we "do right" by ourselves by following the conventions set by the majority? Or do we deny ourselves from possibilities that the majority cannot foresee or foretell?
Every single one of us answers these questions in a different and unique way...
We make our own unique "choices"!!!
And that is exactly what makes this life so exhilarating and beautiful!!!
Life, indeed, is not a destination...!!!
It is, rather, a journey...!!!
Beginnings are always scary...
The endings are always sad...
But…
It is the middle part that counts...
Follow your heart...
And live life without regrets...
With that, I give you "CHOICES", my latest painting.
It’s 2:30 in the morning, no one in sight…
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