Art-Moments

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Escapes

In the present state of turmoil and violence among human beings around the world, it is understandable that we tend to escape. The escape I am talking about is not to run away from the world.

It is a spiritual and emotional search. It is a preparation to overcome our fears and reconnect with our humanity.

We need to search for a moment of balance and internal harmony so we do not get contaminated with hatred and the feeling of impotence. As simple and idealistic as it may sound, we need to repel with calm, love and determination the negative energy that seems to be inundating our planet. This is our prerogative and our real power, and nobody can take it away from us.

She and her sisters went to sit on the rocks far away from the crowd. They wanted to have a moment of peace and silence by the ocean. They needed it so they could continue facing the daily challenges of life without a sense of defeat and impotence. However, someone suddenly came and started taking pictures close to them. The moment was broken but for just an instant. She decided to turn her back on him and vanish with her sisters in the immensity of the sea.

She was reading the news and the horror of the images of war hit her right in her heart. She began to cry, then she prayed in her own way for the innocent lives lost to incomprehensible wars and geopolitical reasons. She could just think about one thing: to escape to the ocean with her guitar. She sat down on a rock and began to play. It was a song about hope, love and solidarity. Her musical sounds melted in the air and traveled on the ocean breeze, reaching around the globe. At the same moment, many people suffering in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Lybia, Russia and Ukraine felt a warm feeling in their hearts. We should not underestimate the power of music and love.

She was a mother of children who lived in a war zone. She does not understand the reasons for war and why her innocent children were victims of this violent human act. Like every loving mother, she wanted the best for her children: a home, enough to eat, access to good education and health, joy and peace. But her children were at the wrong place and time and she could not protect them. Now she is a broken soul. However in her deepest sorrow, she decided to treat with tenderness the loving memories of her children as the petals of the roses she is holding.

As she stood alone on the shore, she reflected: "escape is not a way for me to avoid the world but to find a place where I can prepare myself to critically understand it and change it to a more natural loving state". Suddenly, she had a powerful epiphany. She realized that happiness of others was also her own. Her tears were shared as well as her hope for a loving and joyful future with others. She knew that she will never feel fearful and alone again. This was all the power she needed.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Stairs

Stairs are artifacts that give us the impression we can overcome gravity. Stairs require us to have motivation, strength and a real purpose why we want to climb them. They are a symbol of life.

There are all types of stairs. For example, we have the ones that allow us to get to our homes in a colorful mood. The higher we climb, the better the view.

She faced the old gate leading to the stairs. She could feel the sound of the past. The Gardel's tango surfacing from an accordion made her melancholic. She imagined young women holding their long skirts while climbing the stairs. She could almost hear the clacking of their boots against the stone steps. It is 1927 and facing these stairs, she felt like an intruder from the future.

Santiago, the Capital of Chile, has a surrealistic old mountain in the center of downtown right between the skycrapers. Around this mountain, the Spanish conquerors founded the city of Santiago. For the Santiaguinos it is just a place to take a break after lunch in the old stone stairs...

...or to kiss before going back to work...

Sometimes, we are too busy climbing towards a destination and we do not even realize the people who pass by us going down. Perhaps these people are in pain or distressed and they could appreciate our sympathy. Perhaps, the climbing was not what they dreamed and they return to firm land feeling lonely, sad and defeated. If we see them and pretend to ignore them, we excuse our indifference out of "respect for their privacy". Perhaps, this person going down needs to be consoled. However, we continue focused climbing towards, where? ... why?

Copyright 2014 Nancy Barra, "Stair of Indifference". Plaza Pisco Elqui, Chile.

It was a sunny day on the beach and while she was walking on the wharf, a young woman passed her by. "Why was she crying? What could have made her so sad?" she asked. Then, pretending to ignore her, she said to herself: "Well, it is not my problem" and continued walking towards the end of the dwarf as she intended.

Then, we have the "corporate ladder" that promises success, power and unlimited stress to the climbers. He was so determined to climb it as high and fast as he could that he did not even realize that he missed a step and... Ooops! He fell down. Gravity won. Perhaps the "corporate ladder" was ill conceived. Yes, it was crooked to begin with.

Stone stairs in nature do not urge us to climb fast. They are the opposite of "corporate ladders". They invite us to go slowly, enjoy the surrounding and feel their uneven texture with our feet. They always lead us to a calm space, where we can just be, even if we go up or down.

Fortunately, as we get older and wiser, we realize that to continue climbing up does not make any sense, especially if the steps do not get us anywhere and our legs tremble by the effort. So we pause, sit down on the steps and enjoy the moment. We have finally arrived.

10" x 8.5", from: Nancy BarraContemporary Art/Arte Contemporáneo

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Decisions

Our lives are always inundated with decisions, small and large, which are not always easy to make. We fear that if we make the wrong decision, this can lead us to unpleasant consequences. Our fear is completely justified since we know that life is unpredictable and we try to hold on to the illusion that we can, in some way, control or plan events in our life or, at least, minimize their negative outcomes.

So, we ponder and ponder what way to take, what decision to make...

Because we know we cannot just rely on our rational mind, we opt for alternative practices that quiet our mind, balance our emotional upheavals and sharpen our instinctive intelligence, so we meditate before making a decision.

Sometimes, we think that having a drink while admiring the Torres del Paine in Patagonia can give us the relaxation, inspiration and courage to make the right decision.

Other times, we have too many choices in front of us to make a clear decision...

...or we might ask others which way to go, which is not a bad idea if they are truly wise and generous people.

In the end, I think that before we make a decision we should answer three basic and inter-related questions:

1) Is this decision beneficial for me?

2) Is this decision also beneficial for others, especially those in need? and,

3) will this decision improve or at least not damage the environment that sustains me and others?

Banks and corporations, for example, usually answer the first question with a definite "Yes" but their historical responses to the other two questions have been a resounding "No".

So, if we answer these three questions with a "Yes!", we should go ahead and make our decision. In doing it, we will embrace the uncertainty of the future, but at least, we will know that our mind and heart are in synchronicity.

Anatomy of a Decision

Walking on the beach, she was thinking about what direction to take in her life. She needed to make a decision....

Then, she asked herself the three basic questions. When she answered "Yes!" to each of them, she began to walk decidedly with confidence and hope, knowing exactly what to do.

The decision was made. She began to run towards the ocean, ready to embrace the unexpected with her mind at peace and her heart full of love. Her fear then began to vanish.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Houses

Houses are our primeval nests. They are supposed to be special spaces where we rest, feel relaxed, enjoy the company of loved ones, withdraw from the social scene for a while, feel protected from inclement weather, dream, cry and, at times, welcome friends to share the intimacy of our dwellings.

To have "a roof over our heads" is one of the most elemental human needs and conversely, to be homeless is one of the most desolate, devastating and insecurity provoking human experience. This is why to have our own "cave" is one of our precious dreams, no matter how it was made or if we rent it or own it. It does not matter how furnished it is or where it is located: It is just our house.

Our house could be made of leftover wood boards and located on the side of a mountain...

... or it could be made of fabric wrapped around bamboo poles...

... or it could be one of those houses whose windows connect us with nature and allow the sun rays to warm them up in the Patagonia winter...

Copyright © 2008 John Zuman, "Red Roofs", Český Krumlov, Czech Republic.

.... or it could be a house with a story...

She was swimming in the ocean towards the coast and began to feel lost among the huge waves. She could not see the shoreline and kept swimming in a state of panic when she suddenly saw a house in the distance. It looked like an abandoned ark on top of the rocks. She just knew that she will climb those rocks and run towards it. She felt a sense of safety by looking at this old house with a porch, gleaming under the afternoon sun, offering her a welcome possibility to feel safe again.

"The Ark of Cape Ann", oil painting, 20" x 30" from:Nancy Barra Contemporary Art/Arte Contemporáneo

She approached the house. Her knees were bleeding from climbing the jagged and slippery rocks. The door was mysteriously open and the only sound was the black buoy bell hanging from the second floor porch. She shouted: "Hello! Anybody here?" several times. Then, she entered the house repeating the same call several times and when silence surrounded her, she slowly began to climb the stairs and opened a door that led her to the porch.

"The Porch of Cape Ann", oil on canvas, 36" x 24", from: Nancy Barra Contemporary Art/Arte Contemporáneo

She stood on the porch and looked at the horizon and saw the ocean in all its majesty and apparent serenity. Being there, in that empty house, looking at the ocean from the porch, she felt safe and inundated with an indescribable sense of beauty.

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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Escapes

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Stairs

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Decisions

Monday, June 9, 2014

Houses

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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Escapes

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Stairs

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Decisions

Monday, June 9, 2014

Houses

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