Material Ethereal Constructs: Sequential, Poetic Dialogues
Work Statement
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty”— MAYA ANGELOU.
Life is dynamic, ever-changing, and imaginal! We have free will and a mysterious blueprint to become our better selves. I am resilient and evolving within the flux of life, which I know very little about.
Humans experience, construct, and reconstruct their lives over time or in the blink of an eye, just as all creatures, tribes, cultures, and nations do. Traditions, norms, beliefs, thoughts, and perceptions can be useless, like old shoes that are outgrown or worn out. The status quo can be calming or toxic. From the beginning of time, change, adaptation, and resilience have been at the core of humanity’s path to freedom, harmonious living, sustainability, and a quest for transcendence.
We have transitioned from forests to fields, from settlements to agricultural villages, and to towns, cities, and now megacities that suffocate Nature… sprawling, obliterating, and “paving paradise.” Today, we venture deep into DNA, outer space, cyberspace, and AI — with many dangers within the formidable unknowns. We are over 8 billion drops in the sea of humanity. We are material, ethereal, and significant parts of a greater, eternal, cosmic whole.
We are highly interconnected and interdependent. Yet we remain distant, lonely, isolated, and increasingly fearful. The Greek philosophers sought to understand the fundamental nature of reality, the origin of the universe, and how to live a virtuous life. We debate and ask: who and what are we? Where do we come from, and where are we going? Are we striving for a loving, just, harmonious, and ethical life? The answers are complex and contradictory. God-like, selfless miracles shine brightly every day, everywhere, in our beautiful, mystical world. Yet, there are selfish, cruel, and narcissistic acts that degrade and denature.
How can we achieve sustainability for Mother Earth, for Humanity? How can the rich and the poor, and diverse religious, philosophical, and cultural groups, find peace and harmony? Live consciously in the moment, ride life's rollercoaster with equanimity, and release anger and negative energies as the stars and planets spin and orbit, moving on and on through space and time. Know that love, compassion, forgiveness, and redemptive acts heal. The only constant is life's flux and our need to evolve and rise above. Find and focus on the soul’s blueprint within. After all, we are all of the same light, of the same eternal, cosmic force and source.
Are we incomprehensible holograms of integrated energies ("human energy vehicles (HEV)") masquerading as material beings through illusory force fields? Do we pre-select bodies in space and time to evolve and elevate… or devolve and debase? The reliance on humanity’s physical senses or scientific measures to determine reality is closer to folly than truth. Wisdom wanes, and awareness of the superconscious self or divine nature within is too often diminished.
In the end, we abandon all relationships, possessions, and accomplishments and are placed in flesh-and-bone junkyards or cremated for interment or the scattering of ashes. Our kind, gentle, loving, and forgiving natures remain in the hearts of others, as do our dark deeds and energies. Do souls recycle within the mysterious voids as all energies do? Sages ask, "Are we spiritual beings having physical experiences?" To what end? Purification? Do we really die? Questions like these reflect humanity's greatest mysteries.
I frequently walk in Lakeview and Forest Hill Cemeteries, as well as sites across Chautauqua County, New York. It's my time for “Day of the Dead” inspirations! The rock-hard, stone-cold monuments are juxtaposed with the moss, lichen, and lush forest settings to stimulate writing with light. The Sun's light and shadows are dynamic partners that stimulate. Forms morph again… and again!
Photographs merge dualities; they offer opportunities to open the third eye, mirroring the material-ethereal dichotomy and the interplay between light and dark, stillness and movement. I stroll and look closely for decisive moments where nature's objects and atmospheres ripen with poetic expressions. Henri Cartier-Bresson’s "decisive moments" pass in the blink of an eye to remain within crystals or pixels. Consciousness, camera-mind, and imaginings become one; knowledge, memories, worldviews, and subliminal undercurrents and knowings add depth and breadth.
My images are sequential, totemic, and poetic. Audiences can interact with, touch, and experience hyperrealities. Some artists spark dialogues by orchestrating a series of pictures and symbols. The noted teacher, curator, photographer, and visionary Nathan Lyons expresses visual, spiritual, and philosophical conversations within Notations in Passing.
The arts define, refine, heal, and enrich our lives in myriad ways. "You don't need to be a brain scientist to understand that the arts have physiological, psychological, and spiritual benefits," said Mary Magsamen, Founder and Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
ARTIST ESSAY
We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough to make us love one another. — JONATHAN SWIFT
We are one indivisible family on one interconnected, interdependent, and energetic planet, living, breathing, loving, healing, hating, and killing while delicately and beautifully floating on and on within the stars. We are momentary travelers on a paper-thin biosphere like water droplets in the clouds.
Earth is our sole, shared, and sacred home. Humanity coalesces in love within Bob Marley’s “I and I” and Martin Buber’s “I and Thou.” Mutual respect, tolerance, patience, forgiveness, and compassion for all life are keys to healing and survival. Humility, loving-kindness, listening, and introspection will serve us well. Collaboration, cooperation, and compromise are synergistic keys to hope, understanding, and solutions to the myriad of challenges.
The Statue of Liberty's "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free" speaks to all times. Some say this phrase embodies America's idyllic ideology, while others call it an outdated pipe dream, and still others consider it a curse. What do you say? Social justice reflects philosophical, democratic, and spiritual ideals while also targeting pragmatic, long-term solutions. "Between 1880 and 1930, more than 27 million immigrants arrived [seeking safety, religious and political freedom, and opportunity] mainly from Europe and Canada." America’s immigration history continues. What stories will historians tell? Are we creating a history we will look back on… to hide or celebrate?
In Mary T. Lathrop's poem Judge Softly, she writes, "See the world through his [or her] spirit and eyes." Remember, vulnerable babies, children, and grandparents, along with mothers and fathers, suffer from gang violence, war, ethnic cleansing, climate disasters, and extreme poverty. Earthquakes, fires, floods, and famine devastate humanity and force migration. A friend and retired policeman recently expressed anger and frustration over the border crisis. He blamed Congress (not presidents) for failing to come together, since George W. Bush briefly enjoyed a majority in both houses. The friend said: “It's wrong, IT'S WRONG, the border must be secured and immigration for worthy citizens must be justly authorized within a short time!” He ended softly like this: “But… if my family were in peril or starving with little hope of survival, I would do anything to save them, including crossing the border illegally.“
As with couples, families, communities, and nations, kindness, non-judgment, unconditional love, and commitment to selfless service must be part of the global healing formula. A critical mass of spiritual healing can only manifest when individuals take responsibility by projecting loving words, thoughts, and actions into their everyday lives. For insights, search the “Peace Prayer” of St. Francis. Consider Gandhi's simple words: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." This quote (yes, overused) challenges us to radiate loving-kindness toward change in our homes, communities, countries, and collective consciousness.
"Beware of the differences that blind us to the unity that binds us." — HUSTIN SMITH.
Enlightenment reflects the shattering of the ego's pride, greed, indifference, and delusions. Unfortunately, critical imagining, Sophia's wisdom, and common sense often give way to fears, selfishness, and tribalism rooted in the lower self’s false narratives and logical fallacies. Let's admit that we are all saints and sinners, eat our humble pie, and go to work. Cultural creatives of all ages and non-profit institutions help bring about change; they find fulfillment, joy, hope, and transcendence through service and philanthropy. Do you hear their grace-filled messages? Are you listening?
A faster, fairer, and focused evolution in the language of universal connection to one another and the Earth must manifest to achieve sustainability. Can we prioritize others' needs (both at home and globally) over our own? Compassion and heroism arise in human hearts daily, but a critical mass of illumined global citizens collaborating and cooperating is essential.
During the early Industrial Revolution, approximately one billion people lived on Earth. By 1927, the population had reached 2 billion; by 1974, 4 billion; and by 2026, we exceeded 8 billion. The Industrial Revolution and mass-market consumer capitalism have re-engineered life on Earth within an anemic biosphere and diminished quality of life.
Greed capitalism, as we know it now, must come to light. The Earth’s atmosphere, ecosystems, forests, freshwater sources, and oceans are vital external organs shared with Mother Earth and all people, flora, and fauna. All life is interconnected in manifold ways. Humanity's small selves are like caterpillars crawling, craving, and consuming mindlessly with little holistic awareness. Does humanity possess the imaginal potential for a planetary metamorphosis? Let's hope so!
"All great truths begin as blasphemies." — GEORGE BERNARD SHAW.
We witness the ramifications of the Anthropocene daily. Unchecked consumerism, waste, pollution, excessive greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, droughts, floods, forest fires, and the extinction of plants and species disrupt the planet's innate intelligence and its ability to achieve homeostasis. Humanity is one within a tainted biosphere. New pollutants, the internet and AI, are polluting hearts and minds with hate, fear, depression, confusion, and division. Wake up! Wake up! We, along with our inventions, are Earth's ills.
Greed and misunderstanding have contributed to climate change, which has ripple effects both near and far. Altered oceans, diminished polar regions, and tainted atmospheres spark unrest, disease, malnutrition, wars, and mass migrations. We must envision near-miraculous solutions, heart by heart and brick by brick.
Environmental conferences and summits are moving far too slowly. Could we commit time, energy, and funds (as in the Manhattan Project) to researching and developing sustainable solutions? Radical change does not have to evoke fears; transformation is within human potential.
The Industrial Revolution's science and technologies are miraculous. The dynamics of peace, health, equitable economies, human rights, environmental quality, and sustainability must emerge. Our egalitarian natures and self-sacrifice must confidently engage with universal truths about a new conscious world order, embracing the Oneness of all Humanity and Nature.