I now have the brief for my next year at Leith School of Art and it is to read "Findings" by Kathleen Jamie. This is going to be the theme for the whole school for the year. Work to be done can be based on the literal or the philosophical ideas expressed in the book.
I have read most of the book and my first impressions are that it is remarkable, beautifully written, immaculately observed images and quite profound in places.
What struck me about the first chapter on lightness and darkness, was the assumption that darkness was connected with Christianity and was negative. This is an alien concept to me. The author's search for complete darkness in order to experience the other side of the brightness which is often artificial, was something I would never have thought of.
I immediately thought of the symbol for both in Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang with the corresponding dark or light spot in the other representing the fact that in darkness is always an essence of light and in light there is always the presence of dark. The literal translation of the sunny side of the hill and the shadow it casts on the other side, which can always change according to the viewpoint.
What struck me about the book, " Findings" was the constant reference to the past, death and decay, with a reminder of the technical, plastic age we are in now. References to what had gone with what is in it's place, the past compared with what is now, the sense of regret and even stronger feeling of grief came across the more I read. The descriptions of solitude in West coast islands, birds, land and the Scottishness of these places was ever present. Silence apart from the sounds of nature with the occasional foray into humanity was most evident.
My reaction was to look up the philosopher, Roger Scruton, to see what he had to say about beauty because that was a word that summed up what seemed to be missing in kathleen's book.
I found his book, Beauty, was full of references to the world of classical music, opera, literature and art that I was familiar with. His logic and critical analysis was superb and I found his book much more to my taste. I was in familiar territory and, although there was much that I have to re-read, I found more idea pertaining to how I was going to tackle painting this Autumn.
The two books complement each other and are both full of inspiration. One, because it is alien to me, and the other because it is familiar.
Findings.... What we find depends on where we look!
Such a simple statement but it feels very important to me at present. There is a chance to look where I have never been before but also a chance to consolidate what I have already and see it afresh. My life is very rich, full of colour and music. Will I be persuaded to look more at the natural world which decays and is transitory in it's very nature? The Buddhist in me knows that everything is impermanent. There is beauty in everything but there is also a world of culture which is immensely rich.
Back to Roger Scruton...
