Find Art

During this last year, I have tried to experience more art.  It is less about finding shows, exhibitions, and paid art adventures - more about seeing art wherever I am. 

As the year has unfolded, I am pleasantly surprised by both how I see works of art in many places and how I find art in the world around me.  Not a piece of art, but something beautiful -- like yesterday's huge fluffy snowflakes.  The extreme jump from Fall in the morning to Winter in the afternoon was a bit jarring (as it is every year), but those large luscious flakes (before they morphed into icy sleet) were a thing of beauty.

A few years ago, I heard about a woman who looked at the same piece of art every day for a year.  I think that would be amazing.  I come close, as there is some great art in the building I work in.  There are a few pieces that always draw me in, and each time I look, I manage to find something new. It is usually something small, but it can often be very illuminating.

Real Simple Magazine has a great compilation of short essays on savoring the moment (November, 2013).  Here are thoughts from Kirsten Swenson, an art history professor:

"My job requires me to think hard about why good art is effective.  When I see exhibitions, I need to be mindful of how the art engages my physically, emotionally, and intellectually.  Art work doesn't reward the quick glance.  It requires long, careful looking to be fully understood, even if it appears at first to be very simple.  How do I do that?  By paying attention to the details.  I rely on my sight over my other senses.  Nothing is insignificant, from the texture of the paint to the relationships of colors and lines."

I love that:  "Nothing is insignificant."    Just like life - it doesn't need to be big to be significant.  Every stroke, print, cut -- all of it adds up to a work of art. 

This is a piece I see a few times a week at work.  I can't tell you the name of it, but I catch my breath every time I see it.