With every breath I take I know that I am taking into my body at least one molecule of oxygen that once coursed through the veins of 'our artist'.... and Moses, and Jesus, Ghengis Kahn, and Stalin, and, and...
It was said of Reb Simcha Bunem that he carried two slips of paper, one in each pocket. On one he wrote: Bishvili nivra ha-olam—“for my sake the world was created.” On the other he wrote: V’anokhi afar v’efer”—“I am but dust and ashes.” He would take out each slip of paper as necessary, as a reminder to himself. What I love about this metaphor is that I can pull out either slip, as needed, to engage a situation. Once again I am an individual.... AND I am a part of ... a body, a family, a culture, a city, a country, a species, and a part of the awareness I'll call life.
As a boy 'our artist' was known to be beaten daily and at least once to extent that he nearly died and was in a life and death coma for three days. He proudly told his mother that his "father hit him 34 times today and he didn't make a sound." Perhaps this explains his painting's being devoid of emotion and sould.
I guess my point here is that childhood trauma may also be one of the usual suspects for understanding how people act the way they do. As a psychotherapist of course trauma is my 'hammer' and your post Peter, is the 'nail' that I see today. I'll get in trouble though, if I can only hit nails with a hammer. Or, if I go too long forgetting that I also have a pocket filled with ash and dust.
I looked at that painting and I didn't like it. I have a fear of heights and those structures were just high up, isolated, and distant. I had no idea what you were going to say about it but I was ready to say "uggh," Then you led us to understand WHO did it! OMG. I guessed it after a while. The baby pic confirmed it. I've seen that pic in other publications! What you say about the painting being devoid of real spirituality and centered on materialism is SPOT ON. That was the painter's inner landscape. (I don't want to be a spoiler so I'm not saying who he is.). The other artists showed their involvement with human beings. You are so perceptive. I'd love to know what you think of Cezanne and Van Gogh. Thank you for sharing. You infuse everything with spirituality, which is absolutely beautiful and correct.
Very insightful Peter, in the summer of '74 at age19, I went to Europe with two friends and we bravely visited Dachau and were unable to eat or speak till sometime the next day. They returned home after six weeks and I continued for three months alone. I traveled to Bavaria and toured Neuschwanstein, the sheer magnitude of it dripping with ostentatious opulence juxtaposed with the previous death camp was not lost on me. I only hope that my ancestors were in no way complicit.
Kudos to you my friend for your courageous artistic heart 💜 Mr. Himmelman ( God's messenger )
Interesting how I didn't like the painting and found out it was by someone I absolutely detest! Love the zen too. Big Bang, whatever G-d did it and then we evolved and are still working it out.
The thought of true nothingness terrifies me. As in what is the point if there is nothing. I hope
g-d keeps thinking real hard about all of this (and that)!
After spending a good part of this afternoon looking at the drawings of John Singer-Sargent (on line), looking at our mystery artist's ;-) work doubly creeps me out.
The first painting tells us a lot at how the artist viewed and lived in this world.
Finally from what we are learning about brain trauma, the damage to the artist might unfortunately explain much of his actions. Not excuse but possibly explain. Most people with brain and emotional trauma aren't responsible for a world war and mass murder on an unimaginable scale.
With every breath I take I know that I am taking into my body at least one molecule of oxygen that once coursed through the veins of 'our artist'.... and Moses, and Jesus, Ghengis Kahn, and Stalin, and, and...
It was said of Reb Simcha Bunem that he carried two slips of paper, one in each pocket. On one he wrote: Bishvili nivra ha-olam—“for my sake the world was created.” On the other he wrote: V’anokhi afar v’efer”—“I am but dust and ashes.” He would take out each slip of paper as necessary, as a reminder to himself. What I love about this metaphor is that I can pull out either slip, as needed, to engage a situation. Once again I am an individual.... AND I am a part of ... a body, a family, a culture, a city, a country, a species, and a part of the awareness I'll call life.
As a boy 'our artist' was known to be beaten daily and at least once to extent that he nearly died and was in a life and death coma for three days. He proudly told his mother that his "father hit him 34 times today and he didn't make a sound." Perhaps this explains his painting's being devoid of emotion and sould.
I guess my point here is that childhood trauma may also be one of the usual suspects for understanding how people act the way they do. As a psychotherapist of course trauma is my 'hammer' and your post Peter, is the 'nail' that I see today. I'll get in trouble though, if I can only hit nails with a hammer. Or, if I go too long forgetting that I also have a pocket filled with ash and dust.
I looked at that painting and I didn't like it. I have a fear of heights and those structures were just high up, isolated, and distant. I had no idea what you were going to say about it but I was ready to say "uggh," Then you led us to understand WHO did it! OMG. I guessed it after a while. The baby pic confirmed it. I've seen that pic in other publications! What you say about the painting being devoid of real spirituality and centered on materialism is SPOT ON. That was the painter's inner landscape. (I don't want to be a spoiler so I'm not saying who he is.). The other artists showed their involvement with human beings. You are so perceptive. I'd love to know what you think of Cezanne and Van Gogh. Thank you for sharing. You infuse everything with spirituality, which is absolutely beautiful and correct.
Intriguing, and very zen-like-- "nothing from something". And the shock at the end! I had no idea... 😔 Thank you for the thought provoking gift.
Very insightful Peter, in the summer of '74 at age19, I went to Europe with two friends and we bravely visited Dachau and were unable to eat or speak till sometime the next day. They returned home after six weeks and I continued for three months alone. I traveled to Bavaria and toured Neuschwanstein, the sheer magnitude of it dripping with ostentatious opulence juxtaposed with the previous death camp was not lost on me. I only hope that my ancestors were in no way complicit.
Kudos to you my friend for your courageous artistic heart 💜 Mr. Himmelman ( God's messenger )
All Peace T bone Wagner...
Peter, Again you make us think and examine life beyond its surface. Thank you.
Interesting how I didn't like the painting and found out it was by someone I absolutely detest! Love the zen too. Big Bang, whatever G-d did it and then we evolved and are still working it out.
Are these paintings by Hitler? And if so, could that have colored to some degree your reaction to them?
Umm… wow! This really made me ponder… made my mind work - thank you, Peter!
captures totally the utter lack of "soul" in his paintings; a heartless draftsman, essentially.
The thought of true nothingness terrifies me. As in what is the point if there is nothing. I hope
g-d keeps thinking real hard about all of this (and that)!
After spending a good part of this afternoon looking at the drawings of John Singer-Sargent (on line), looking at our mystery artist's ;-) work doubly creeps me out.
The first painting tells us a lot at how the artist viewed and lived in this world.
Finally from what we are learning about brain trauma, the damage to the artist might unfortunately explain much of his actions. Not excuse but possibly explain. Most people with brain and emotional trauma aren't responsible for a world war and mass murder on an unimaginable scale.