"All my life as an artist I have asked myself: What pushes me continually to make sculpture? I have found the answer. art is an action against death. It is a denial of death.” Jacques Lipchitz


How amazing is this quote? For Jacques, death is only kept at bay through the creative outlet of sculpting. Very profound for what I believe about the connection between art and passion. One can say that without passion we are like the "walking dead". Zombies, if you will, moving along through the monotony of life. Sculpting, for Mr. Lipchitz, is his definition of passion. If he were not able to sculpt, he believes he would simply die. I have said on numerous occasions that if I lost the use my legs and could never dance again, I would die. I only realize now, through this quote, what that really means. To have passion flowing through me so much so that I would rather die than be unable to create. People feeling this passionate are a dying breed.
The piece I have chosen to showcase is Jacques Lipchitz's "Birth of the Muses" (how appropriate). This piece, though I know nothing about sculpting, says "passion" to me. It is bold, fierce and capitivating. In my experience, these are some of the best ingrediants for truly passionate art.

The Full Circle: A New Year in The Unknown

It's the New Year and I realized I have revealed nothing about myself in this blog as I had previously promised. Since I was a child, dancing has always meant the world to me. It was a place that provided me great escape and gave me peace. It was in dance I had discovered my passion. I always felt special when I danced. It was as if nothing could touch me. The quote on this picture says, "To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful." I believe the same can be said about passion. To have passion is to go further, dig deeper, think broader, dance harder, express brighter than ever before. This requires you to go "outside" of yourself. This is not simply the outside of your basic thought patterns. It is beyond. So much so, it is unknown.
While attending dance class the other night, I saw a group of young girls preparing to attend as well. In size and shape they all looked the same. It was obvious they were all close friends. I was intrigued by their sense of sisterhood. As I watched them, they began to dance the routine that had been taught. All of a sudden, these girls no longer looked the same. The difference became as great as having five Spanish books and one Russian. One girl stood out distinctly. Where the others in her group danced for pleasure, she danced with and for pure joy. My eyes went to her immediately and I felt a type of transference with her. We met on a passion filled sound wave. I know that young girl has a lot of living to do but if she were to do it utilizing the passion I saw her exude that day, she will truly be an accomplished individual.