Looking Up for Answers
At the beginning of a new year and the end of a completed one, it is often a time for reflection. What has passed, and what lies ahead? In a recent trip to Washington, D.C., an installation exhibit by Mei-Ling Hom reminded me of my love of the sky. In the pavilion of the Sackler Gallery (part of the Smithsonian), Hom has created from wire an exhibit of hanging clouds. Titled ‘Floating Mountains, Singing Clouds’ and accompanied by music, the exhibit is meant to create a space in which museum visitors can clear their minds as they prepare to view to art throughout the building.
The sky and clouds have always been a way for me to clear my mind. Several years ago, I began painting 100 pictures of the sky. Numbering them, I gave them to friends, acquaintances, clients, family members. The series is not complete, as there may still be 20 paintings left to go. But the point of the exercise for me was to reflect on the sky and encourage others to behold its beauty as well… to look up.
There is a story of a 6th century sage who refused to leave his mountain for the future emperor Wu. Finally, the emperor came to him. When asked why he would not leave the mountain, the sage explained: “On the peaks there are many white clouds. One can only count them for oneself. I cannot take and send them to you.”
That’s what art is for me as well: a mind-clearing activity. It’s a place to go. Creating and looking at art is a way to transcend mundane earthly concerns and explore a more contemplative place where we can enjoy color and form and ideas transcribed onto a canvas — and maybe even find a few answers for whatever questions we face.
