When Artists Inspire Me.

I visited a fellow artist today.   His art is a combination of the musings, ramblings, serious reflection, and humor of his faith, mixed in with disturbing and though-provoking images.  

I marvel at his work.   There are some paintings that capture the attention; that draw in the eye into a complete story being unveiled in each scene.   When I look at it, I immediate have a feeling like I have entered another world, a complete story which has just started to unfold in front of me.

This is an artist who humbles my own meager efforts to create art.  

What this visit really revealed to me is that all great artists (which I consider this artist to be) have a passion for sharing their view of the world not only of the seen, but of the unseen.   In many ways, I find them to be more connected to the spiritual world than other people.

For example, one of his painting shows a scene from the Old Testament, but is done in the dress and background of the Incan empire.  The king and his subjects are actually skeletons, and the motif of the piece seems to be one of having an empire of death.   Yet, this is just the surface meaning.   Hidden within the painting are little anti-Roman cryptograms, trappings of the priesthood of not only the Jews but of the Incan High Priests, carrying out their religious and (implied sacrificial) offerings.   It is packed with questions, insight, juxtaposing normal everyday activities with high-religious images, amidst a background of a civilization that was based on death, celebrated death and in many ways worshiped death.

These are the artists that inspire me, because the are not afraid to be controversial.   They have a willingness to put their expressions out into the world for all to see (and to comment either for or against.)