knaw-ag

[knaw-ag]

On the question of what art is… I can't answer. I've been living in this world for over 30 years and, while I've always been interested in science and technology, there was never room in my head for art. So, I don't understand it. I don't know it. I totally don't get it. It exists somewhere in our reality, but in my understanding, it's somewhat aside. And you know what? I'm not entirely happy with this state of affairs. That I don't get it, that I don't understand it, that I've never been interested. Of course, I can appreciate beautiful things, but is beauty=art? Great question. I don't know. I have a strong suspicion that it's not entirely the same, but I also don't know where this suspicion comes from.

Would I call beautiful creations made by Midjourney art? Probably not. So it's not just about nice things… it's about something more. And I feel a great need to at least try to discover… what lies in this something more. Especially since I also have a huge suspicion that art stands directly opposed to perfection… and perfection is somewhat a plague of our lives. Our burning pursuit of perfection leads not only to burnout but also to moving away from a sense of happiness.

So I'm setting out on a journey, a journey doomed to failure because I won't be able to understand all the classical masters, delve into theories, understand trends. I won't. My understanding of art will be like art itself - imperfect. Marked with flaws. Marked by me.

If you want to embark on this journey with me, you're welcome. But let's understand each other here: I'm looking for companions, interlocutors, people who want to comment or suggest where to turn in this wandering of mine. Social media are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to spreading impossible standards, pushing us into a sick rat race, and trapping us in the half-trap of constantly comparing ourselves to others… but they are also just a medium that can be used… so if you feel like it, we can use them for conversation… if not? then this will be a super version of a diary from this journey. A version that I won't lose too easily.

And after this rather long introduction, a few words about the picture that caught my interest… and how totally off my interpretation was.

Hugo Simberg - The Garden of Death I don't quite remember how I came across it - I'm 90% sure Google displayed it to me while searching for my next true-crime fix - what can I say - I'm only human. Anyway, three skeletons appeared on my screen in a garden, and the thought formed in my head that it's actually funny… that the care of these plants is essentially in the hands of the personification of death. And that might still be somewhat consistent with the official interpretation of this work, but my brain didn't stop there. Oh no, it went further… thinking that Death is essentially the most burdened profession in the world. Someone is always dying. Add wars or pandemics to that… such a Death has really a lot of work. Corporately speaking, it's swamped with work and probably does a ton of overtime. So no wonder that after all that, it wants to rest. Relax. Devote time to small, growing plants and see how they live. How they grow. How they are the total opposite of what happens in Death's official job. In short, I saw someone burned out by their daily work.

That's not quite what Simberg had in mind. According to Wikipedia:

"(…)For years, interpretations of Simberg's artwork have been a place of mystery for historians and psychologists alike. However, The Garden of Death is one of the few paintings whose symbolism Simberg explained; typically he preferred to let viewers come to their own conclusions. In a note on one sketch, he described the garden as 'the place where the dead end up before going to Heaven.' Because of this explanation, there is a connection from this piece of artwork to spiritualism. Furthering this interpretation further, the work is described as having the skeletons symbolize being a friend and performing typical home rituals. Simberg's juxtaposition of the traditionally frightening imagery of death with the tenderness and humor of his portrayal invite the viewer to consider mortality in a new light.(…)"

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Death

Hugo Simberg - The Garden of Death 1896, watercolour and gouache, 15.8 × 17.5 cm, Ateneum, Helsinki

(Oh! And I'm Alex btw. Welcome on my... what is this actually? Anyway Welcome!)