During this past week our Brisbane River has flooded. It has impacted on a lot of people, one of them my partner's dad, Neil who has a farm in the Lockyer Valley. We visited his farm this weekend to provide support and to see for ourselves the impact of the force of nature on man.
Scattered across the silt-crusted paddocks were the washed-up remnants of life - both the natural world with piles of sticks, logs and bamboo, and also from people's lives - furniture and other rubbish. As I stood amongst it I was struck by the transience of life - how the meaning of life is found in our experiences and how we live it, not defined by our possessions and collections of stuff.
I could see the similarities of this to the process of making art. It too is a transient thing - the act of making is the essence of it, not the outcome. Once again I was reminded that making art is being mindful, taking the time, focusing on the meaning behind it, the tactile process and getting my hands dirty, sensations and smells, the peace, the escape.
So if my studio was washed away tomorrow, it wouldn't REALLY matter. My art is within me, its not my studio or the things I own. My artworks reflect my inner self and the artistic processes I used. Like the flood waste scattered around the farm, the art I create recalls a history and a journey.
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| Its hard not to wonder about the house where this refrigerator came from. What happened to those people? |
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| Rubbish scattered over the farm paddock - it looks more like a war-zone than a productive farm. |
those poor people, my heart bleeds for them. Hope your dad was okxxlynda
ReplyDeletethere certainly are some extraordinary scenes of flood affected areas all over the media (but I think there is few more poignant than a lonely bit of someone's life..... like that fridge...)
ReplyDeleteand as a farmer I can't help feeling for every farmer affected by the recent flooding. My heart really does go out to them all (ps we are about to start negotiations to bring out at least some animals..... it will be months and months and a lifetime for farmers to get back on their feet)