Looking....
Have you ever stopped to look at a painting or other work of art? I mean really look without any practical reason? It could be a glorified masterpiece or a finger painting by a four year-old. Or, maybe a curious work where the more you see the more you wonder.
Looking at art is as powerful as the act of creation itself. A work is never finished until you look at it. You make it complete in your own way.
And this is the fun part: once the images are in your head they belong to you. Your mind can do anything it wants with them. They are knocked about by your cultural heritage, your experiences and even your mood. The artwork has a meaning that is yours and yours alone.
That is why art is a genetic hunger to have more in our lives than the tangible, touchable world. We reach for our higher nature, the spiritual. And to get there we often have to reach through the curtain of PTSD that can suddenly drop and isolate us from hope.
But while looking at art is so individual, it is always shared with the artist. You are never alone. If you’re drawn to a work at all, you can be pulled into a visual conversation, and there is no conversation without listening —no connection without looking, really looking. Sometimes the message is profound, calling you into the supernatural. Sometime it is just a statement of joy about a place, or time, or color.
For me, the connection is strongest when I am standing right where the artist stood and thought and wrestled with the vision. Sharing the actual moments of creativity can be calming and exciting at the same time. The artist was usually struggling with his or her own traumas. In my mind, I watch as the paint is applied and try to understand why…what was the artist thinking? Then I can add my own thoughts.
If you watch closely for a while, you might understand.
1. Untitled—Alexis Rockman — https://alexisrockman.net/
2. “Letter From My Ex-Husband”—Patsy Fleming—www.patsyfleming.com
3. Elders—Patricia Underwood—www.punderwood.com
James John Magner Website
Message to artists and non-artists:
This is my second January post: PTSD and Art #8. I am continuing to feature artists I have profiled in the past as well as other artists I admire. I am considering dedicating one post a month to an individual who has used art to overcome trauma: both artists and non-artists. Let me know if you are interested. I include links to websites.
Rene, thank you. The story of your son is one of those human miracles that is usually overlooked and undervalued in an age of medicating. I taught “emotionally disabled” teens in a private institution and began an “Environmental Art” program: planning, pricing and producing. From outdoor sculptures to indoor murals, much could be taught and learned. And like you witnessed, emotional growth and understanding just happens. It comes from the inside.
And thank you Anna and others who understand the power of looking…just looking…at art, beauty and the curious interpretations of the world around us.
Jim is himself a wonderful artist whose paintings are an expression of life and color. His writing is captivating and heartfelt. My son struggles with depression. When he was a teenager I brought him to an art therapist. He was able to express his feelings through this art. I was able to better understand what he was feeling. Thank you Jim for bringing awareness of the healing of art.