Art to Enjoy
There is the mud, and there is the lotus that grows out of the mud. We need the mud in order to create the lotus.
Thich Nhat Hanh
This quote by Thich Nhat Hanh means a lot to me.
Not only in relation to ceramics and art and as a guidline for meditation, but also to achieve a deeper understanding of the time and the circumstances we are living in right now.
When I try to look at everything that is happening around us from this point of view, it enables me to see the light in the darkness and to strengthen my optimism.
“Art has to be forgotten, beauty must be realized” is a famous quote of Piet Mondriaan.
And the famous Dutch ceramic artist Han Boerrigter writes in his book GLAD TO BE (A)ROUND:
“The essence of all art is to create beauty. What is beauty? Beauty is something that has ‘soul’. Not even a glimpse of perfection is possible, if someone does not put soul in something that he creates.”
Ursula Seiler, editor of the spiritual magazine “Zeitenschrift”, continues in one of her articles:
“What is art? That which is made with devotion, talent and the desire for ideal and beauty, and serves to elevate life and ennoble the observer.”
These quotes reflect what I personally understand by the term art. Yet it is not what I willingly try to achieve with my art. It describes what makes me feel happy in my work as an artist. I love to create beautiful things.
