The Artist's Choice

THE ARTIST'S CHOICE
INTEGRITY/INSANITY

Elimination of ignorance.
Is art therapy, descriptions of a sick society or predictions of change? All are valid definitions.
Then there are artists who are singlemindedly concerned with truth within themselves and that which would be considered universal.
Non-separatists.
Perhaps they see the problem and are drawing from heart felt insight towards an evolutionary advancement towards wholeness/oneness.
In observing what was done by the Abstract Expressionists in response to two world wars in terms of bringing art to its conclusion in displaying purely black canvases it becomes also the end of an evolutionary mind process unmistakenly seen - the death of art, the death of the spirit of a world culture. Standing in front of a black canvas confronts the viewer with a very uncomfortable situation. A reflection? It's fascinating how art is able to impact on the culture by forcing it to look at what's happening. The message takes time to become absorbed by the masses. One could say it takes time to catch up to a movement created by those who in some cases staked their lives and who have the courage to stand for what they know in the face of all opposition.
Darkness or Enlightenment?
Here we are confronted with a climate which has arrived at the epitome of self-centeredness and almost total individual alienation causing mass suicide, extreme mental anguish, all-pervasive power-based behavior world wide. Artists themselves have become involved in this vicious game.
At this crossroad, elimination of the cause of conflict is to realize ourselves as perfect individuals who are not separate from nature and the universe. Allowing what can be defined as direct sensual contact with reality and devoid of beliefs. Removing the cause and breaking the cycle, not soothing, not describing symptoms, not covering up but crafting an entirely new movement of moving with.
Not looking right or left, using centered all-pervasive awareness, seeing, directly penetrating into whole beyond limited purviews - expansion, touching all things in all ways with no barriers -acceptance.
In this evolutionary process an artist is in the unique position of not taking sides, they can choose to be non-institutional and being free of all cultural bias has the ability to attain true anarchy of the mind which promotes the clarity of their work through a benign justice blind to prejudice expressing unity and balance through art.
This is Creativity, Excitement and Beauty in it's clearest form.
Eliminating egoistic aims, centering, they have the potential to create change universally.
By eliminating cultural indoctrination and letting all bias fall by the wayside the are free and are freeing for others.
Living in the world as part of the struggle they become innovators who can shape and define what is. And within this context they can become undistorted and even immpeccable mirrors of the change that is occurring, the change towards sanity.
FROM PURE JOY SPRINGS ALL CREATION, BY JOY IT IS SUSTAINED, TOWARDS JOY IT PROCEEDS AND TO JOY IT RETURNS.

JAO - TAOS 1994