When I look at the art of Anish Kapoor and Wolfgang Laib I am deeply impressed by the emptiness and spirituality of their installations, drawings and sculptures.
“I am not afraid of beauty, unlike most artists today. The pollen, the milk, the beeswax, they have a beauty that is incredible, that is beyond the imagination, something which you cannot believe is a reality-and it is the most real. I could not make it myself, I could not create it myself, but I can participate in it. Trying to create it yourself is only a tragedy, participating in it is a big chance.”
Wolfgang Laib
I love this quote by Laib about his art and the pure materials he uses are incredibly captivating with their starkness and simplicity.
“We live in a fractured world. I’ve always seen it as my role as an artist to attempt to make wholeness.”
Anish Kapoor
What I like about Kapoor’s quote is that he tries to heal the world with the deep spirituality of his art. I feel on a personal level that his early pigment sculptures and the next stage the limestone sculptures with circular or rectangle voids in them transported me to a place of peace and awe when I looked at them.
I find when I studied the quotes of Mary MacKillop and Saint Francis of Assisi and drew their portraits mainly in watercolour every morning then I felt myself emptying myself out and being purified however this process has only just begun and I have a long way to go.
“Never see a need without doing something about it.”
Mary Mackillop
I like this quote by Australia’s Saint Mary MacKillop as I feel I need to be empty and relaxed by doing something about the needs I see.
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
Francis of Assisi
I like this quote by Saint Francis as I feel I am currently doing what’s necessary but if I am vigilant in being healthy mentally and physically and study the teachings of the saints then I shall succeed as Francis outlines that it’s possible in the quote.
I now don’t use quotes of MacKillop and Francis anymore in my drawings and journaling but only do their portraits with watercolour mainly on cut up brown grocery bags with text about how they make me feel and jokes about their piousness.
In conclusion I feel art is incredibly therapeutic and if one also eats well and exercises gently then one’s life can become very satisfying and happy. I also feel I’ve learnt a valuable lesson this year and that what you don’t say is often more important that what you do say and if I want to be at peace in the world then I should continue to draw and make simple watercolours everyday but most importantly never to ever look sideways at anyone ever again and if I do accidentally then apologise immediately. This year I’m renovating my apartment with the help of tradies but it has become very cluttered with my art and the art of other contemporary artists I have done swaps with so I would love to return it to a minimal hang like when I moved in so it’s not distracting to live in. What has impressed me most about Laib’s work is his living space in the country in Europe which is incredibly minimal and pure. No wonder why he is so innocent, pure and calm. I got the idea for this essay today after a Laib coffee table book arrived in the mail and I was transported to another place when I looked at the images of his art particularly the sublime yellow pollen squares.
