In Music it is called REST, I know that because now I am taking piano lessons, go figure!You know that little squiggle that looks like a baroque-sideways-snail (forgive the fashion designer musician lingo...), and it means a pause, or silence. It is considered to be a note, since without it all the other notes would run on endlessly together.
The absence of sound, or the rests define the music.
In art, I am learning, as in music, what is NOT in a drawing is as important as what is IN a drawing. As a student I am having difficulty not defining every area of my drawings in an effort to be correct and clear. I am learning to realize that light illuminates colours and makes the colour disappear into white or nothingness, softens outlines and removes lines, and that is important to leave stuff out...I am learning that an absence of colour or line, simply NOTHING on the page is as important as the lines and colour there.
Does this principle follow also for life? As I think about it, maybe it does. Maybe the absence of things in life are just as important as the things present. Perhaps this is the key to balance and instead of filling every last particle of our days with thoughts activities and business maybe we we need to create more "rests" and "light" in our lives to better define what we really are...
What do you think?
Later the next day... Beth has commented that yes, it is a good to take moments for reflection, and yes, I completely agree, but to me that falls into the active/shade/line/ note category, and what I am thinking is a little different than that. Conscious nothing. Meditation is hovering at the edge of my mind...just the idea of leaving space...in conversation, in time... just really nothing. Plus the idea that if we are completely scheduled and organized, well it does not leave so much room for creative living...and you all know I all about being creative...
Hmmmm....
The "Nothing" idea seems counter productive (and impossible to do), but maybe that is my/our obsessive western culture paradigm talking...
I am going to think about this a bit more and see where I get with it...
I would love to hear your ideas....
3 comments:
Absolutely, I agree, though I have a hard time following it...I think it is unfortunate that the art term 'negative space' is so...negative.
We do need those "rests" - those quiet times to reflect upon who we are and where we are going.
Is it really possible to do "nothing"? I think that even when it seems we are doing nothing, we are still doing something. Maybe just watching our kids play, listening to music or taking a quiet moment for reflection as Beth said. Even mediation is something. I find that it's in those moments of "nothing" when my mind is working the most!
I love the comparison to rests in music. It's really about the combination and balance, I think. The rests with the notes and how they are spaced. Too many notes without a rest may not make interesting music and vise versa. Also true with life, right?
Just some random thought...an intersting topic.
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